A Ballina man who ripped a garda’s fleece and set fire to a mattress in the Garda station cell has been sentenced to a total of six months in prison.
A previous court sitting heard that on February 6 2011, at 2.20am, gardaí observed a man urinating in a doorway on O’Rahilly Street, Ballina. As gardaí approached this man, Brian Moran, 11 Tom Clarke Place, Ballina, intervened and told gardai to “f**k off and mind your own business”. Moran then came face to face with Garda Conor Drury and told him to “f**k off you scumbag”.
Half an hour later the defendant showed up at Ballina Garda Station as he was making enquiries about a man who had been arrested. Garda Drury tried to arrest Moran, however Moran violently resisted and pinned Garda Drury against a wall and ripped the garda’s fleece on the left side.
Later, the defendant was observed sitting in the cell with his T-shirt over his face and he had tried to set fire to the cell mattress with a lighter which he had concealed on him.
Moran (26 ) who has previous convictions, had been attending his nephew’s 21st birthday that night. Moran was remanded on continuing bail to Tuesday’s sitting of Ballina District Court.
The court heard that compensation has since been paid for damage caused to the mattress and fleece. The court also heard that the defendant has come to Garda notice — he received a drink driving conviction and a penalty notice for public order.
Judge Devins said, “I gave him a chance for a year, but he didn’t take it...I’m not impressed at all.”
For the section two criminal damage to the mattress he was convicted and fined €500 and sentenced to three months in prison. For the section two criminal damage to the garda’s jacket he was convicted and fined €300 and sentenced to three months in prison concurrent. For the section 19, obstruction of a garda, he was convicted and fined €300 and sentenced to three months in prison consecutive.
