‘Disorderly’ man spent night in police cell

Phillip Mitchell (24), of Wakehurst Park in Ballymena, admitted a charge of disorderly behaviour in relation to October 31 this year.

A prosecutor told Ballymena Magistrates Court police attended the hotel at 12.50am in relation to a report of an “ongoing disturbance”.

Police saw a large number of people in a car park and Mitchell’s mother told police her son had too much to drink and had been “creating a disturbance” at the function, a prosecutor said.

Officers spoke to the intoxicated defendant who wouldn’t stop shouting and swearing and after several warnings and being urged to calm down he started to “beat his chest” and said “go ahead then”. He was then arrested.

A defence solicitor said it had been the defendant’s brother’s wedding and it had been a “particularly embarassing” incident for Mitchell “that he ended up being arrested by police at the end of the night”.

The lawyer said too much drink had been taken by the defendant and his mother had called police as she wanted him “to go home”.

It had been a case of with the “drink in the wit was out” for Mitchell but the family are now all on “good terms again,” the solicitor said.

The solicitor said the defendant had been arguing with police about whether or not he had been arrested and his “wish came through”.

Mitchell ended up spending the night in a police station, the court heard.

He was fined £150.