Suspended sentence for Kilkenny offender with ‘chequered history’

A man who admitted engaging in threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour, to failing to comply with the direction of An Garda Síochana and to refusing to give a name and address to gardaí was handed down a two-month suspended sentence at Kilkenny District Court.

Liam Foley, Good Shepherd Centre, Church Lane, Kilkenny admitted the offences at the Good Shepherd Centre, Kilkenny on January 4, 2026.

At approximately 2pm on the date in question gardaí were at the Good Shepherd Centre and were arresting another male. The defendant was present and refused to move away when directed to do so by gardaí.

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Sergeant Morgan O’Connor said that the defendant was ‘using expletives and interfering in the course of an arrest’.

The defendant has 21 previous convictions including convictions for robbery and possession of explosives.

Solicitor Ed Hughes said that his client has ‘a chequered history’ and completed a prison sentence three years ago.

“Gardaí were making an arrest, he got involved and got frustrated.

“He has not got into any difficulties apart from this and is engaging well with the services. He was the victim of difficult circumstances growing up and was surrounded by negative influences from a young age,” said Mr Hughes who added that his client wanted to apologise and ‘just wants to live a quiet life now’.

“He genuinely wants to apologise. I know Liam Foley, he is a highly intelligent man,” he added.