Assaulted barman and tried to bite the police

And when police arrived on the scene he was aggressive towards them, was verbally abusive, spat at them and tried to bite an officer.

Michael Loughlin, Hillhead Close, Banbridge, admitted assaulting a man on July 18 this year, two assaults on police, resisting a constable, disorderly behaviour at Peggy’s Loaning and criminal damage to a T-shirt and bracelets.

Banbridge Magistrates Court heard last Thursday that at 10.40pm the defendant went into O’Reilly’s bar where he was barred. A barman tried to escort Loughlin from the premises.

At this stage the defendant attempted to head-butt the barman and during the confrontation the injured party’s T-shirt was ripped and two bracelets he was wearing were damaged. The T-shirt had cost £40 and the bracelets £25.

When police arrived they found Loughlin hiding in trees close to the bar and when they tried to arrest him he became aggressive and attempted to punch an officer.

He also spat at police and told them to ‘get you hands off me’ while referring to them as ‘c—ts’.

Loughlin then tried to bite an officer’s hand and as he was being placed in the police car he said ‘you baldy scum b—d’. In custody he spat on the floor of the cell. When interviewed the next day he could recall going to the bar and being asked to leave but he thought the barman was overly aggressive with him.

A solicitor representing Loughlin said this was ‘an unsavoury incident’ and what is shown in the report is his addiction to drugs and alcohol

He added that his client’s family were concerned the path he had gone down.

The solicitor explained that Loughlin had undergone a four week mental health and drugs awareness programme when he was absent from alcohol.

But, he added, there had been a relapse and probation ruled out any community disposal.

The solicitor said that custody was not going to ‘solve this young man’s problems’ and asked the court to consider a deferment period of four months ‘to put him on his mettle’ to engage with the community addictions team.

District Judge Amanda Brady said she was not minded to defer sentence but she was satisfied that the custody threshold had been crossed.

She told the defendant she would leave suspended sentences hanging over his head.

For the common assault on a man, the assaults on police and criminal damage she imposed three months in custody. Two months terms were imposed for resisting police and disorderly behaviour.

All the sentences are to run concurrently making a total of three months in custody and they were suspended for 18 months.

The judge also ordered Loughlin to pay £65 compensation for the T-shirt and bracelets.