Offaly man convicted of engaging in threatening or abusive behaviour at Pride Parade given suspended prison sentence

Judge Nicola Andrews accused an Offaly man of conducting his defence in a derogatory and offensive manner to inflict hurt. 

John McGhee (47) of Church Street, Clara, Co Offaly appeared before Portlaoise District Court to answer charges arising from the Laois Pride parade in 2023. He had denied the public order charges which arose from the incident. 

The defendant was accused of engaging in threatening or abusive behaviour, displaying a sign which was offensive and failing to comply with a member of An Garda Siochana at Fitzmaurice Place, Portlaoise on September 9, 2023.  

Garda Aran Grehan, who is a member of the Garda Community Policing team in Portlaoise, was liaising with organisers of Laois Pride on the date in question. She told the court the event had attracted a large crowd of people of all ages. She said the defendant was also at the location. 

“He was holding up a placard with: LGBT tyranny, grooming your kids” written on it, she said. 

The defendant acknowledged the sign which was brought to court and he told Judge Andrews that it was his sign. “I own it,” he said. 

“There was a large crowd gathered with families and children,” explained Garda Grehan. 

She said the defendant began shouting about LGBT and paedophiles. She said he was also taking photographs and filming the event. 

She said when she approached the man he was extremely intimidating and aggressive and was shouting into her face.

Garda Grehan observed a woman approaching the man and telling him to stop taking pictures. She said he became abusive towards the woman. 

She then asked him to leave but he insisted he had a right to protest.

“I told him he had and he could stand on the footpath with his placard,” said Garda Grehan. 

She said the man tried to get into the parade but she told him that he could instead follow the diversity car at the rear of the parade which she was driving. 

Garda Grehan said the defendant continued to shout abuse about the LGBT community. 

She said at this point the crowd began to shout “have you no shame” towards the defendant. 

Garda Grehan directed the defendant to leave the area and when he wouldn’t she arrested him and took possession of the placard and his mobile phone as she believed he had been using it to record the events.

Inspector Joe Culliton asked Garda Grehan about the arrest. 

“I informed him he was being arrested under Section 6 and 7 of the Public Order Act,” she replied.  

Mr McGhee, who was defending himself, claimed he was arrested by two colleagues of Garda Grehans and he said video footage would be available. However, she denied this version of events. 

“You requested me to stay behind the ridiculously coloured car you were driving,” he said. 

Garda Grehan agreed that she had told the defendant to stay behind the diversity car and remain quiet. 

He said he had remained behind the car and he asked how he could have been intimidating when he was outnumbered in his estimate by 300 to one. He said he was “incapacitated” as he had a placard in one hand and a mobile phone in the other. He put it to Garda Grehan that she had been in his face. 

Garda Grehan denied this and said “I was not in his face at any time.”

Mr McGhee insisted that under the Irish constitution he was entitled to protest peacefully. 

“I stayed behind the car as per your instructions,” he insisted. 

Garda Grehan said when the parade reached Main Street the defendant continued to shout and act aggressively. 

Mr McGhee noted Garda Grehan had denied putting her hands on him prior to the arrest. He told Judge Andrews that it would be visible in video footage although he admitted he didn’t have the footage to hand. 

Judge Andrews said “if you don’t have the video footage in court you can’t refer to it.” 

Manager of the Midlands LGBT Plus Project, Christina Fitzharris said the group had organised the pride parade. She said her five year old niece was with her on the day. 

Ms Fitzharris told the court she had witnessed the defendant holding a sign and shouting at adults and children on the day in question.

“He told me to get back in the kitchen and cook like a good woman,” she said. 

She walked away to start the parade in the hope that the defendant would stay where he was. 

Mr McGhee asked the witness if she worked for a Non Government Organisation. She explained that she worked with a charity. Mr McGhee accused the witness of promoting a “disgusting ideology”. 

Maria Tyrell took to the stand. She recalled that it was a “gorgeous sunny day” and “there were lots of people of all age groups” present at the parade. She said there were volunteers assisting and the defendant had “started really harassing this young steward” so she told him to leave the young man alone. 

Ms Tyrell told the court the defendant was “trying to provoke a reaction” and was aggressive. 

“I felt very sad for everybody there. I wouldn’t have gone near that man,” she said.

Mr McGhee asked how she felt threatened if he had a phone in one hand and a placard in the other. He also said he was “outnumbered 300 to one” on the day. 

Another witness described the defendant as being “vile, aggressive and intimidating” on the day. She had requested that he not take pictures of children at the event. “I was completely unnerved by him. I didn’t feel safe,” she said. 

“Do you consider that an appropriate lifestyle to be promoting to your children?” the defendant asked her in cross examination. 

The witness said the man could have just stayed where he was with his sign. 

“You even came up and said to me, what sort of parent are you?” she said. 

“And I stand by that,” replied Mr McGhee. 

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Mr McGhee, who works as an embalmer, took to the stand. He said he found himself in Portlaoise on the day for work. He said in his view the event was detrimental to the children of Ireland and he told the court he had exercised his constitutional right to protest in what he considered a peaceful manner. 

He pointed out that there had been no violence on the date in question and he branded the “diversity vehicle” a waste of taxpayers’ money.  “No threat was posed by me,” he insisted. 

Inspector Culliton asked Mr McGhee what he had planned to do with the footage he had taken. 

Mr McGhee said he was planning to blur out the faces of minors and put the footage online to “expose the rot” as he viewed it. He claimed he was unable to defend himself in the absence of his phone footage as the device had been taken from him by gardaí. 

Judge Nicola Andrews said the defendant had strong views in relation to how people live their lives and love, which she said he was entitled to.  

“Mr McGhee, under Bunreacht na hÉireann which you have quoted several times, we are all equal under Article 40.1,” she pointed out.   

“I am noting a not guilty plea was entered before the court on all charges and the manner in which your defence was conducted with a view to delivering your personally held opinion in a most derogatory and offensive manner to inflict hurt on the members of the public and the witness present in court today,” she said. 

Judge Andrews said the State had proven its case and she convicted him on the charges. She asked Inspector Culliton about any previous convictions and was told the defendant had none. 

Judge Andrews fined the man €500, imposed a three month sentence which was suspended for two years on condition the defendant keep the peace and be of good behaviour. 

She explained that if the defendant wished to appeal she would have to fix recognisance. 

“I would prefer to bring it to the High Court on a constitutional matter,” said Mr McGhee. 

“I would like to obtain the DAR (Digital Audio Recording),” he added. 

Judge Andrews told the man he would need to make an application for the DAR of the court hearing. She fixed recognisance and told him to contact the member in charge in Portlaoise Garda Station in relation to retrieving his phone. 

Mr McGhee then asked about the fine. 

“I don’t know would you be better off giving that money to charity, say for victims of child abuse,” he suggested. 

Judge Andrews said no to the suggestion and told the man the court had imposed a fine. She issued a destruction order for the sign which had been brought to court for the hearing.