A Westmeath man has withdrawn a comment he made telling a garda to “f*** off back to Templemore”.
Stephen Anderson, Billistown, Delvin made the remark when he was directed by Garda Charles Christie to leave the area around the Blue Hackle pub in Collinstown on April 17 this year. He refused to move and was arrested.
Garda Christie had met him earlier in the afternoon when he was also standing beside his van, drunk, this time with a group of males.
The garda had warned him not to drive in his condition but found him later beside the van at the pub.
The 21-year-old, who has no previous convictions, has not drunk since, Mr John Quinn told the court. He said he had tried to make contact with the garda to apologise for his remarks which were “not meant in any sense to demean Garda Christie”.
He now wanted to “wholeheartedly withdraw” what he’d said and acknowledged the garda was doing his duty and had probably prevented a more serious offence, such as drink driving, taking place.
Now unemployed, he had bought the vehicle hoping to do it up and sell it on.
The judge described Anderson’s behaviour as “poor” but gave him the benefit of the Probation Act for failing to comply with Garda Christie’s order to leave the scene because it was his first time before the court on a public order issue.
However, having no insurance, tax, or driving licence was more serious, he said. He fined him a total of €600 and disqualified him for two years and a week.
