Prison sentence for Offaly man who spat in Garda's eye

A Tullamore man was convicted during last week's Tullamore District Court sitting for spitting in a Garda's eye.

Joe Guinan, 2 Tara Crescent, Tullamore pleaded guilty to committing the offence on May 12, 2019 on Station Road, Portarlington.

Sergeant Brendan Kearns told the court that the Gardaí were called to an incident on Station Road.

“The defendant had a laceration to his hand and while he was being taken to an ambulance he spat in one of the Guards' eyes.”

On another date, on December 1, 2021 Mr Guinan was intoxicated in public and arrested for his own safety. While in a cell in Tullamore Garda Station he damaged a mattress.

“He also spat at a Guard while he was in the cell and he threw a cup of water over a Guard.”

The defending solicitor Brian Duffy said his client is 29 years of age.

“He accepts that these incidents were outrageous behaviour and unacceptable,” remarked Mr Duffy. “He would like to apologise to all the Gardaí concerned.

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"He only has a vague recollection of these events. On one of the occasions he had just spent a week in the Portlaoise Psychiatric Services, which he had checked himself into because of a mental health issue.

“My client had been very close to his father and he took it very badly when his father died. He told me that when he was visiting his father's grave he broke down and thought of suicide.

"When he was arrested and put in a station's cell he was seen tying his clothing around his neck. He was in such a state that he couldn't fill out a station form.

"My client has a wife and an eight month old daughter. He has a significant work history in the construction industry.”

Judge Andrew Cody convicted and sentenced to six months imprisonment.

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