Lisburn man who 'could paper his walls with suspended sentences' is told by judge he has ‘run out of chances’

Aaron McMahon, 25, whose address was given as Laganville Park in Lisburn, appeared before Lisburn Magistrates Court charged with resisting a police officer in the execution of his duty.

The court heard that the charge stems from an incident on October 16, 2025 which was not proceeded with.

The defendant was arrested and refused to get into the police vehicle.

It was stated that he pushed against police as they placed him in the vehicle.

It was also reported that he was verbally abusive to police.

A defence lawyer told the court: “While this offence doesn’t look great, it is at the lower end of the scale.

"During a probation interview, he expressed remorse. He reacted because the handcuffs were too tight.

"He has had issues with alcohol and drugs. He is crying out for assistance outside the custodial environment.”

Noting that the defendant already had 13 suspended sentences hanging over him, District Judge Rosie Watters said the defendant could “paper his walls with suspended sentences”.

Ms Watters continued: “He got his chances and continued to offend.

"You only get a certain number of chances and then you run out of chances. That is what life is like. You have to take responsibility for your actions.

“He has run out of chances from my point of view.”

Ms Watters imposed a custodial sentence of five months, as well as an offender’s levy of £25.

She also activated 13 suspended sentences, bringing the total sentence to nine months.

Ms Watters granted McMahon leave to appeal but refused to release him pending the hearing.