Man urinated and defecated in garda car in Offaly

A suspended sentence remains in place on a man who was involved in two “very similar” incidents with gardai, including one where he defecated in a garda car.

Gardai re-entered a case at Tullamore District Court against Leszek Amernik (43), Ballybrittan, Edenderry after a six-month suspended sentence was imposed on him the previous week.

Mr Amernik had paid €5,000 in compensation after being convicted of offences at Grogan, Ballycumber on February 1 last and court presenter Sergeant Brendan Kearns said that triggered a previous suspended sentence.

Judge Andrew Cody said the previous suspended sentence dated from November 2023, and in both incidents Mr Amernik was drunk and guilty of assault. In one incident he head-butted a garda.

Defending solicitor Aisling Maloney said her client had not drunk for some time and a previous remand in custody had a “very sobering” impact on him.

A father of two, he had recently started a business and now realised that drink was his downfall.

Ms Maloney asked Judge Cody not to activate the sentence but instead leave it hanging over him to keep him on the straight and narrow. The judge adjourned the matter to March 25 next for a probation and welfare report.

The court previously heard details of the offending in Grogan, Ballycumber. The man had urinated, defecated and spat in the rear of a garda car and had damaged the vehicle by removing the rubber seal of one of its doors.

He had also been charged with assaulting gardai, obstructing a garda, public drunkenness and a breach of the peace.

A six-month sentence imposed on December 10 has been suspended for three years.