Six months jail sentence for man who spat in face of Civilian Detention Officer at police station
A man who spat in the face of a Civilian Detention Officer at a police station has been jailed for six months.
Michael Fitzgerald (40), with an address listed as Drumtara in Ballymena, was sentenced at Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, on charges of assaulting a police designated person and being disorderly at Drumtara on August 1 last year.
The court was told the defendant had been "dropped home" by police and at 4pm he was then in the middle of a street being verbally abusive to neighbours.
Police attended the area again and saw him sitting on a step at the front of flats and he was intoxicated. Residents said he had been shouting and screaming.
He was verbally abusive to police and when arrested spat a number of times on the outside of a police vehicle.
At a police station a Civilian Detention Officer attended the defendant's cell because he was "acting in an aggressive manner" and the defendant then spat in his face, hitting him on the "right cheek".
A defence barrister said he defendant, who had a "transient lifestyle", has alcohol issues.
District Judge Nigel Broderick said the defendant had 25 previous convictions and was in breach of a suspended sentence from Omagh Court for theft.
The judge said it was a "serious offence" to spit in the face of a Custody Detention Officer and jailed the defendant for six months.