Court: Drunk Tipperary man who verbally abused garda 'staggered' across the road

A man who called a garda a “fat c***” has been fined under the Public Order Act by Judge Elizabeth MacGrath at Nenagh District Court.

Matthew Conroy, with address in Kilcommon, denied being intoxicated in public and threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour at The Square, Newport, on January 5, 2023.

Garda Michael Boland told the court that he was on duty that evening when he received a number of calls from the public about the behaviour of a gentleman in The Square.

He went to the scene around 9.20pm with Garda John Bugler and observed Mr Conroy who appeared to be unsteady on his feet.

Mr Conroy walked across the road in front of traffic and there was a smell of alcohol from him, he said.

“Mr Conroy started to get aggressive and called me a ‘fat c***’ twice,” he said. “I told him ‘you have to get yourself away home’.”

Garda Boland said Mr Conroy told them he would “take us on”.

He said the defendant had been “facing up” to the gardaí and had asked him to take off his jacket.

“I had enough at that stage,” said Garda Boland.

He said Mr Conroy’s behaviour had escalated to the point where he had to be put in handcuffs.

“I didn’t particularly mind what he was calling me,” said Garda Boland.

Mr Conroy’s solicitor, Michael Devlin, put it to Garda Boland that his client had been waiting for a bus.

“The bus had long gone,” replied the garda. “He came staggering towards us.”

Mr Devlin put it to Garda Boland that Mr Conroy had arrived in Newport at around 3pm that day and gone for coffee before having two pints.

“He staggered across the road. We didn’t put him in handcuffs straight away. He kept trying to escalate the situation. We were surprised he was so aggressive. He is not a violent person,” said Garda Boland.

Garda Bugler said that he had been in Kilcommon in the patrol car and returned to Newport to collect Garda Boland. On his way to the Garda station he observed Mr Conroy outside a fast food outlet.

When he returned with Garda Boland, Mr Conroy crossed the road “without looking left or right for traffic. It was clear he was intoxicated. He was swerving from side to side.”

Garda Bugler said that he spotted an open beer can and a number of other cans in a plastic bag beside the fast food outlet and Mr Conroy said they were his property.

Garda Bugler said Mr Conroy became aggressive and insulted Garda Boland. He was arrested and placed in the patrol car. His property was placed in the boot and he was taken to Nenagh Garda Station where he continued to be abusive.

Garda Bugler told Mr Devlin that Mr Conroy’s general demeanour had been aggressive.

Garda Aoife Shine, Nenagh Garda Station, said that when Mr Conroy arrived at the station she could smell alcohol from him.

She had processed him but he refused to sign the custody record.

Mr Conroy was placed in a cell where he took the mattress from the bed and placed it on the floor next to the door.

When she checked on him he told her to “f*** off you lump of s***”.

Garda Shine said that she checked Mr Conroy through the night and on a number of occasions he told her to “f*** off”.

At one stage he told her she was “doing what I was told to do and I was institutionalised”.

Mr Conroy, in his evidence to the court, said that he had arrived in Newport that day between 3pm and 4pm and had a coffee in a coffee shop and a pint in two pubs.

He denied that he had been causing a nuisance in The Square.

Mr Conroy said the gardaí arrived and placed him in handcuffs and put his bag in the patrol car boot.

“I don’t think I called the garda anything of note until I was in the Garda station,” he said. “I wouldn’t consider my behaviour as being aggressive.”

Mr Conroy said that he had fallen and turned his ankle and banged his head when he had gone to check the bus timetables.

Cross-examined by Insp Amanda Reynolds, he said that he had drunk no more than one can of beer.

He had “no idea” why people had contacted the gardaí.

He thought he had been put in handcuffs because the bus driver had called the gardaí and said he was falling on the road.

Mr Conroy told the court he was “thinking of going abroad because I think it is dangerous to walk the street”.

Judge MacGrath convicted Mr Conroy on both counts and asked Mr Devlin what his client was doing about his alcohol problem.

Mr Devlin said Mr Conroy lived a reclusive life and tried not to come to the attention of anybody.

Judge MacGrath said she had “no doubt” his actions were based on his addiction to alcohol.

She fined Mr Conroy €300 for threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour and fined him €150 for being intoxicated in public.

She set recognizance in his own bond of €250.