Man jailed for six months on his birthday for Offaly offences

A MAN appeared before Tullamore District Court by video link on his 27^th birthday and was sentenced to three months in prison.

Paul Lanier, who previously had an address at High Street, Birr, is in custody and pleaded guilty to committing public order offences at Church Street, Clara on August 4 last year.

Judge Andrew Cody was told he was highly intoxicated, told a garda to “f*** off” and was arrested after a short foot race.

There were other public order offences dating from December 5, 2023 where Mr Lanier was also highly intoxicated and according to Sergeant Richard Thornton was “banging windows” in Cloncollig, Tullamore.

Sergeant Thornton said the accused had 43 previous convictions and 15 of them were for public order offences.

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He also had 10 convictions for criminal damage, two for assault, plus the theft of a pedal cycle for which he received a one-month sentence.

“I completely accept my behaviour was unacceptable,” Mr Lanier told the court.

He said he had been attending AA outside prison and was drinking because he was missing his children.

“I do need to sort my life out,” he said.

Judge Cody imposed a one-month sentence for the offence in December, 2023 and two months, to be served consecutively, for the offence last August.

Sentences which had previously been suspended were also considered by the judge and these amounted to 10 months in total.

David Nugent, BL, defending, said Mr Lanier had a problem with alcohol and had engaged with services so he asked the court to see the three-month sentence as sufficient.

Mr Lanier told the court himself he understood the suspended sentences would still be hanging over him if they were not activated.

“I can do an awful lot with that time while I'm in here,” he said.

He said he had already linked in with the services in the prison.

Judge Cody said he would activate a sentence of three months and make no order in relation to the other sentences which amounted to seven months.

He said the three months is consecutive to the other three months he had already imposed.

Mr Lanier responded: “That's six months altogether. Alright, no problem.”

A previous court sitting had been told Mr Lanier had been drunk and walking around Birr with a samurai sword.

Judge Cody remarked that it had a seven-inch handle and a nine-inch blade.

A separate court sitting was told Mr Lanier had been homeless and that aggravated his alcohol problems.

He had damaged a number of premises in Birr by spray painting them.