A man who hurled racist abuse at a taxi driver after consuming a cocktail of alcohol and medication was lucky to excape jail and instead left Galway District Court this week with a €700 fine and a two month suspended sentence.
Stephen Hopkins (44 ) with an address at 38 Liosmore, Cappagh Road, appeared before Judge Mary Fahy last Monday and pleaded guilty to being intoxicated in a public place and to threatening and abusive behaviour at Mill Street on November 8, 2008.
The court heard that at 2.25am a complaint had been received from a taxi driver who had been trying to get an abusive man out of his vehicle. Gardai arrived and managed to persuade Hopkins to get out of the taxi. However, Hopkins then repeatedly abused the taxi driver calling him a “black bastard” and a “black c**t”. He then abused gardai.
Defence solicitor Fiona McAlister said that her client had been in a very serious accident years before and has been on a lot of medication since. She said that her client, whose two siblings and mother had passed away, rarely goes out but had gone out on this occasion for a friend’s birthday.
“He did have drink which does not combine well with his medication. His friend had also been assaulted and so he was extremely agitated. He does not have racist tendencies,” said Ms McAlister.
Judge Fahy then heard how the defendant had nine previous convictions which include possession of drugs, drink driving, burglary, and wounding a person.
“If he is on medication he should not mix it with alcohol to such an extent as to be abusive to a taxi driver who was just doing his job. The abuse was such that a custodial sentence really should be imposed,” said Judge Fahy.
Ms McAlister replied that Hopkins, who has no recollection, had been very shocked that he had spoken to anyone in that manner.
Judge Fahy warned Hopkins to behave in future as such abuse cannot and will not be tolerated by the court. She convicted and fined him €700 with three months to pay and imposed a two month sentence suspended for nine months on condition that he enter into his own bond of €300 to be of good behaviour.
