Cork court: Man who went 'baluba' lucky to get suspended sentence, judge says

A district judge said he could not understand how a man in Cork city centre “goes baluba” for no reason and attacks two gardaí.

35-year-old Dubliner, Niall Farrelly of no fixed address pleaded guilty to obstructing and threatening gardaí during the unexplained incident.

His solicitor Killian McCarthy said the defendant could not understand why he behaved the way he did. Judge Philip O’Leary responded: “I can’t understand it either.” 

Judge O’Leary said at Cork District Court: 

“It is as bad as I have heard in a public order incident. He goes baluba – I don’t know if that is even a real word. But he tears a radio of a garda, throws it across the street and grabs another guard by the stab vest.” 

Inspector Brendan McKenna outlined the background to the incident that occurred at 1.15am on September 29 2024 while Garda Mairead O’Sullivan and Garda Wayne McGrath were on mobile patrol at Maylor Street, Cork, and saw the accused kick some construction site cones as gardaí passed.

“They tried to speak to him. However, he replied, ‘Go fuck yourselves’, and kept walking.

“Gardaí requested his name and address and again said to ,'Go fuck yourselves’ again, refusing to give his details. He walked around the garda van to evade gardaí.

“As they tried to stop him he became increasingly aggressive and threatening. He grabbed Garda McGrath’s stab vest trying to pull him to the ground.

“Gardaí were pulled and dragged around the street.

“A struggle ensued in trying to effect an arrest and he ripped Garda O’Sullivan’s radio from her stab vest as she was trying to radio colleagues for assistance – the radio landing a distance away. He violently grabbed Garda O’Sullivan’s wrist to resist arrest.” 

Killian McCarthy solicitor said the defendant had got his life on a better track since this happened last September.

“Originally from Dublin, at a young age he got into addiction difficulties with cocaine. He lost it all and became homeless and found himself in a very difficult situation. He came to Cork about one and a half years ago to make a fresh start.

“Since this, he did manage to turn himself around,” Mr McCarthy said.

Judge O’Leary said: “He got two opportunities to walk away and he did not take them and he causes mayhem.

“On the face of it, it merits a custodial sentence. I accept that he is in a very different place now.” 

The judge imposed a total sentence of eight months which he suspended on condition that he would comply with directions of the probation service.

“I am not putting him into prison because he has not been in trouble since, he is trying to rehabilitate himself, it dates back some time and there is a lack of previous convictions.

“But gardaí should not be exposed to this sort of violence doing their work on the streets of Cork. It won’t be tolerated. He is lucky it is a suspended sentence,” Judge O’Leary said.