Man jailed for spitting at Translink staff after a fight on a train near Portadown, is to appeal sentence
A Dublin native, who spat at a Translink worker after he was ejected from a train due to a fight, is to appeal a jail sentence.
The 30-year-old appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court on Friday.
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Ryan Boylan, from Ballycraigy Gardens, Newtownabbey, was charged with two counts of criminal damage and two counts of common assault.
A Translink worker contacted police on May 28 this year regarding two men who were on the Dublin-bound train at Portadown and were fighting.
As the train arrived in Portadown, both men were asked to leave. One of the men left the area with no issues. The second male refused to leave and "was fairly abusive to staff”.
“He spat at a member of Translink before leaving the train station,” a Prosecutor said, adding Boylan returned a short time later asking to get on a train and was refused.
"He became verbally abusive and threw a tin of beer towards a Translink worker. It missed and hit a monitor on the desk,” said the Prosecutor, adding the defendant then grabbed the monitor and pulled it off the desk damaging it.
Soon after police were told the defendant entered the snooker hall at Shillington Street, Portadown, however he was asked to leave as he was so drunk. He was reported to be acting suspiciously around a vehicle.
Another car owner went to the rear of his vehicle noting the back passenger window was smashed with blood noticed on the passenger door and handle. Boylan was later found in Mandeville Street and arrested.
Boylan’s lawyer said his client is from Dublin. There had been an issue in relation to his children’s mother and that was why he was heading there. He claimed not to remember anything as drink was taken.
Since this incident he has moved to east Belfast and has got a job. He said his client has a very positive Pre-Sentence Report and has good references from his employers.
District Judge Michael Ranaghan told Boylan: “When you spit in the face of someone in the course of their employment there is only one outcome from this court and that is immediate custody.”
For each charge before the court the defendant was sentenced to five months in jail concurrent on each count. Later he was given leave to appeal.