Judge Mary Devins ordered a further probation report on a 32-years-old man, who lay intoxicated on the railway tracks at the train station in Castlebar on New Year’s Day.
Gardaí were called to the station by the station master after he discovered John Coleman, Apartment 1, Chambers Court, Cavendish Lane, Castlebar, unconscious on the railway line — a train was about to arrive into the station. When gardaí arrived, Coleman was aggressive towards them, told them to “f**k off”, and pulled and pushed the two gardaí. The defendant resisted arrest and when he arrived at the Garda station he kicked out at gardaí hitting both of them in the shins.
Aidan Crowley, solicitor for Coleman, told the court that “he acknowledges that he has a chronic drink problem and has been dry since. He had been dry for 15 months up to this incident, then went on a seven day binge and according to the probation report the prime reason for him coming before the court is drink.” Mr Crowley also told the court that the threat of a prison sentence seems to be the only thing that is keeping him dry, so he asked for a further adjournment to se how he gets on.
Judge Devins asked Coleman if he had been sober since the incident, and Mr Coleman replied he had. Judge Devins adjourned the case until July 21 for a fully updated probation report.
