Suspended sentence for drunk man who threatened garda in courthouse

A DRUNKEN man who got aggressive in the courthouse on Anglesea St, Cork, thrust his hand into his jacket pocket as he was about to be arrested and shouted, “are you sure, are you sure, guard?”

Marcin Cieslik of Cork Simon Community pleaded guilty to engaging in threatening behaviour during this and other incidents.

Defence solicitor Eddie Burke said that in fairness to the accused man who was getting into a lot of trouble around this time last year he has now co-operated fully with the Probation Service, cleaned up his act, and turned his life around.

Mr Burke reminded Judge Olann Kelleher that he had given the man 240 hours of community service to do for another public order offence committed around this time and put charges arising out of the courthouse incident and others back for further consideration.

In light of the confirmation by the Probation Service that the accused had done all the community service, Judge Kelleher imposed a six-month sentence on Cieslik, suspended on condition that he would commit no further offences in the next two years.

The judge said he was also taking into consideration the fact that the accused managed to get employment and was working full time.

Sergeant Pat Lyons outlined what happened last year at the courthouse.

“On April 1, at 12.30pm, Garda Karen Ring saw the accused stumbling on the steps inside the courthouse,” said Sgt Lyons.

“He stated he had been using the bathroom upstairs. Garda Ring noticed he was extremely unsteady on his feet as he began to walk towards the front door.

“He fell down a number of times in front of gardaí. He appeared very intoxicated and was not making sense in what he was saying.

“There was a strong smell of alcohol from him. He stumbled to the front gate of the courthouse where he became abusive saying, ‘f*** you, f*** you’.

“Garda Ring noticed that Mr Cieslik’s fists were clenched. He then placed his hand in the front pocket of his jacket and shouted, ‘are you sure, are you sure, guard?’ Garda Ring did not know what, if anything, he had inside his pocket and took this to be a threat.

“He was arrested at this point and was taken to the Bridewell Garda station.”

The suspended six-month sentence also covered other incidents last year, including one on February 5 when he threatened door staff at Soho Bar, Grand Parade, Cork, where again he was drunk and a danger, and another on March 23 when he was drunk and threatening at Paddy Power on Cornmarket St.