Man who was so drunk he came to Portadown on a train from Dublin 'by mistake', will be extradited after serving a jail sentence

Valdis Grundizs, aged 58, with an address at Atkinson Avenue, Portadown, appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court via video link from Maghaberry Prison on Friday.

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He faced a single charge of illegally entering the UK in breach of a Deportation Order on October 22 this year.

Grundizs’ barrister, Mr David McKeown, said his client pleaded guilty to the charge.

The court heard that on Tuesday, October 22 this year, police encountered the defendant in West Street, Portadown and discovered he was subject to a Deportation Order excluding him from the UK and that this was his second return and breach of this order.

A prosecutor explained Grundizs received a three-month jail term suspended for 12 months last November for a similar offence.

Mr McKeown said his client is clearly in breach of the suspended sentence.

"He had been in Dublin in a hospital having received a significant head injury. There are fresh stitches in the back of his head and I’ve seen those. He took to medicating himself through alcohol.

"He got on a train, he thought going to Birr, Co Offaly as that’s where he lives and instead went to Belfast. He realised in Portadown he was on the wrong train. He got off and was walking around Portadown waiting for a train back.

"He was in a very unfit state which drew him to the attention of police. He made full admissions during interview. He is taking no issue with extradition. He will be extradited back to his home country and will eventually return to the Republic of Ireland where he is legally entitled to live," said Mr McKeown.

"He says he never intended to come to Northern Ireland. He was just so drunk he didn’t know what he was doing and that’s how he ended up here,” he added.

Asked about the defendant’s previous conviction, Mr McKeown explained he had then been living in Portadown and that’s where the address comes from. He added that his client now lives in Birr, Co Offally.

An Immigration Officer told the court Grundizs was given a Deportation Order because “we were led to believe he provided a NI address”.

District Judge Michael Ranaghan said: “This is a court. Led to believe doesn’t really cut it.”

He asked where she got the information from and she responded that he was spoken to by police and claimed to have a NI address.

"So that would add a little less weight to his claim about accidentally being here,” said the judge.

Mr McKeown said that his client’s explanation was that he gave the address he had previously been living at a year ago.

District Judge Ranaghan said he was "sceptical” about the defendant’s excuse for being in Northern Ireland, saying: “His criminal record in this jurisdiction speaks against him.”

He sentenced Grundizs to one month in jail but didn’t activate the suspended sentence.

"He will have two weeks to serve in this jurisdiction after which the extradition procedures will take over,” said the district judge.