A garda was forced to use his baton to defend himself and restrain a man who spat twice in his face before striking the garda in the groin, the Galway District Court heard this week.
Raivis Ignats (28 ), with an address given at Tirellan Heights, Headford Road, Galway, and Monastery Gate Villa, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, appeared before Judge Mary Fahy on Monday and pleaded guilty to resisting arrest and threatening and abusive behaviour at Dun Na Coiribe, Galway, on January 28, 2009.
Garda Paul Gahan told the court that he had been responding to a report of two males causing trouble at a house in Dun Na Coiribe and that when he arrived at the scene he found the defendant to be extremely intoxicated. Ignats was asked to leave the area but he refused and Garda Gahan found it necessary to arrest him. Garda Gahan said that as he was escorting Ignats out of the house and towards the patrol car, the defendant spat twice in his face and later “struck” him in the right groin. Such was the resistance to arrest that Garda Gahan was forced to use his baton.
The court then heard that Ignats has a previous conviction for resisting arrest for which he received a fine in October this year and was ordered to pay compensation.
Defence solicitor Adrian MacLynn said that it was his client’s girlfriend who had called gardai and that the couple had had a row regarding the fact that the defenant went out drinking with the co-accused. He added that Ignats would be able to offer €1,000 in compensation if given enough time.
Noting that the co-accused has already been dealt with by the court and ordered to pay €700 in compensation, Judge Fahy said that Ignats would be treated in equal measure. As Ignats has already lodged €200 he was then remanded on continuing bail to December 19 for the payment of a further €500 in compensation and for sentencing to be completed.
