A drunk 20-year-old who head-butted a Ballina garda was convicted of a public order offence at Ballina District Court on Tuesday.
Inspector Martin Byrne outlined that on December 8 last year on O’Rahilly Street, Ballina, John Donnelly, 33 Riverside Grange, Ballina, was engaged in a conversation with Garda Patrick Kelly about a football match which was on earlier that evening.
During the conversation Donnelly’s attitude changed and he became abusive and agitated calling the gardaí “wankers” and told Garda Kelly to “f**k off”.
Garda Kelly asked the defendant to calm down and directed him to leave the area on three occasions but Donnelly failed to do so and he head-butted the garda, leaving a red mark on the garda’s face.
Defending solicitor Peter Loftus said that Donnelly was watching a football game earlier that evening in a bar where he had a number of drinks but had no recollection of that night, only waking up in the Garda Station. Mr Loftus said that his client believes that his drink may have been spiked.
The unemployed man with no previous convictions was convicted and fined €200 by Judge Mary Devins for his threatening and abusive behaviour.
