Offaly garda on receiving end of 'horrendous' insults

A MAN walked free from Tullamore District Court after lodging an appeal against a two-month sentence for a breach of the peace.

The jail term had been handed down by Judge Andrew Cody after he asked Garda Lisa Fitzpatrick to detail the words said by defendant Dean Lynch (34), Arden View, Tullamore when he committed public order offences at Chancery Park Avenue, Tullamore on December 6 last.

A plea of guilty had been previously entered by Mr Lynch and the matter was adjourned for a victim impact statement and compensation.

Judge Cody said he had a note from the man's previous appearance in court which said “horrendous insults” had been used.

Garda Fitzpatrick said she did not want to fully say what had been stated by the accused but it was “in relation to me being a woman and and crude things I won't repeat in court”.

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The garda added that it was “probably one of the worst encounters” she had ever experienced in her 10 years as a guard.

Defending solicitor Patrick Martin said there was €500 in compensation and Mr Lynch fully apologised to the gardai.

Judge Cody said the man had two previous convictions for public order offences and asked if Mr Lynch was having a “road to Damascus conversion” after his third conviction, the “most horrendous of all”.

Mr Martin said it would not happen again and his client had been reacting to something else at the time of the latest offence.

Imposing a two-month sentence for the breach of the peace, the judge said Mr Lynch had yet to learn his lesson.

He took a charge of public drunkenness into consideration and fixed recognisances for an appeal.

An appeal was lodged later in the day by the defendant.