Fight in centre of Offaly town not 'pleasant viewing' for public

A LARGE number of onlookers saw a fight going on between two men in Birr town centre last summer, Tullamore District Court was told.

Sergeant James O'Sullivan said Warren Morrissey, Emmet Street, Birr and another male were fighting in Emmet Square on July 17 last year.

Judge Patricia Cronin heard both males suffered wounds and were bleeding and Mr Morrissey, who was intoxicated and remained aggressive towards the other male, was heard shouting “I'll put you six feet under”.

He was arrested and subsequently charged with public drunkenness and engaging in threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour.

Mr Morrissey's solicitor, Donal Farrelly, told last Wednesday's sitting of the District Court that his client was being sentenced to six months in prison at the Circuit Court on the same day and he was pleading guilty to the separate offences before Judge Cronin.

He described his client as a 36-year-old father of two who had been on heroin but was now on a low dosage of methadone and was doing particularly well.

The background to the circumstances before the court were that he had been set upon.

Mr Morrissey was now back with his partner and children and Mr Farrelly said the sentence will give him time to reflect and improve his situation.

Judge Cronin said the incident involving Mr Morrissey wasn't pleasant viewing for any member of the public.

She sentenced him to six weeks in custody for a breach of the peace, the term in prison to be served concurrently with the six-month sentence.