Glenswilly man convicted for vulgar comments to Garda
The man was fined for comments made towards a female member of An Garda Siochana in Letterkenny.
A Glenswilly man who told a female Garda that he wanted to ‘sniff a line of coke off your tits’ has been convicted in court.
Ryan Toner made the comments to a Garda at Lower Main Street, Letterkenny on April 9, 2023.
Toner, aged 27 and with an address at Ballybeg, Breenagh, Glenswilly, was not present when the case was heard at Letterkenny District Court on Monday.
Toner was observed by Gardai acting in an aggressive manner and highly intoxicated.
When approached by Gardai, Toner said he had ‘sniffed a load of drugs’. Toner then told a female Garda that he wanted to sniff a line of cocaine ‘off your tits’.
Toner was arrested and conveyed to Letterkenny Garda Station under Section 4 and 6 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act, 1994.
Mr Patsy Gallagher, representing Toner, said his client’s family was known to him personally and this incident was completely out of character. He said Toner comes from a rural community and has no previous convictions.
The case first came before the court in July and Judge Éiteáin Cunningham adjourned the matter to this week to consider the appropriate steps.
Judge Cunningham described the incident as ‘despicable behaviour’. Toner was convicted and fined €250 with five months to pay.
“I am not impressed with the manner in which he spoke to a member of An Garda Siochana,” Judge Cunningham said. “I do deem it serious enough to mark a conviction.”
While noting that Toner has no previous convictions and ‘held his hands up at at an early opportunity’, Judge Cunningham said: “I am not of a view that there should be anything condoning members of An Garda Siochana being spoken to like that whilst they are carrying out their duties.”