A 42-year-old man, who asked a garda to remove his uniform and to fight him on the forecourt of a petrol station, was given a suspended sentence at this week’s Ballina District Court.
On February 11 2011, at 9pm at Gala, Foxford Road, Ballina Garda Michael McGrath spoke to the brother of Hugh Collins, 10 Rath Dubh, Rehins Fort, Ballina about a road traffic matter.
Collins emerged from a van and was confrontational and aggressive to the garda and challenged him to a fight.
Collins, who has 20 previous convictions, apologised to the garda in court.
“You couldn’t be on thinner ice,” Judge Mary Devins told Collins. She convicted and fined him €500 for being threatening and abusive and also directed that €500 be made payable to the Garda Benevolent Fund. Collins was also sentenced to three months in prison, suspended for 12 months.
