Co Armagh man kicked a 12-year-old boy and called him a 'black b**tard' in Portadown People's Park, Craigavon court hears

The 23-year-old appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court.

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Patrick Haughian, of Charlestown Road, Portadown pleaded guilty to common assault, disorderly behaviour and resisting police.

The court heard police received a emergency call on March 8 this year about a ‘drunk male assaulting people’ in the People’s Park in Portadown.

Witnesses said he had been ‘actively assaulting children and been racially abusive to them, calling them black b**tards and calling them monkeys whilst they were playing on the sports pitches’.

They suspected the man was under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Police spoke with a 12-year-old boy who said that after he was racially abused by the defendant he was kicked to his right leg.

Haughian ran out of the People’s Park towards Parkside flats where he was found by police and arrested.

There was CCTV footage of the incidents.

In a separate case, police were called to Parkmore in Craigavon on June 3 this year regarding a possible assault.

"On arrival, police observed the defendant who was unconscious and appeared to be choking on his vomit,” a prosecutor told the court.

Police placed him in the recovery position. “That allowed the vomit to drain from his mouth,” she said.

"The defendant regained consciousness and became verbally aggressive. He refused to tell police what had happened prior to their arrival and threatened to assault police,” said the prosecutor.

While police tried to put Haughian in handcuffs, pushed a constable into a wall before he was restrained and arrested for assault on police.

During interview he said he couldn’t remember the majority of the incident.

Haughian’s barrister, Mr Patrick Taggart, described the offending as “absolutely despicable”.

Referring to the latter incident, he said his client was “so drunk he was choking on his own vomit”.

"Police, to their ultimate credit, are there trying to assist, and the way that was dealt with was to push a police officer,” said Mr Taggart.

Referring to the incident in People’s Park, the barrister said Haughian says he doesn’t hold racist views.

"This is a man who didn’t have a record until the age of 20 and is now quickly amassing one,” he said, adding that the defendant is engaging with Community Addictions.

"I think the penny has dropped that this type of behaviour, particularly with a five-year-old child who he hasn’t seen in a year, he’s on the road to nowhere,” said Mr Taggart, adding the defendant has been able to hold down a good job despite his addiction issues.

District Judge Michael Ranaghan said of the first case: "It starts with racist abuse in the most disgusting terms. It proceeds with chasing that 12-year-old boy for some minutes. No doubt during all of this he is absolutely terrified.

"There’s an assault, but it doesn’t connect. There’s a further chase of the 12-year-old boy and a further assault on the boy who you’ve abused in the most racist of terms.”

For assaulting the child, Haughian was given a five months jail term. For disorderly behaviour and resisting police he was jailed for three months and a further three months for assaulting police – all to run concurrently.

Haughian was released on bail pending appeal of the sentence.