Fought with police 
in Bow Street Mall

Conor James McConville, Flush Park, Lisburn, appeared in court last Friday by way of videolink from Maghaberry prison.

At the Crown Court last Thursday he was sentenced to 12 months, six in custody and six on licence, for the attempted hijacking of a taxi in Lurgan on November 1 last year.

A concurrent four month term was imposed for assaulting the taxi driver while he received a three month sentence for criminal damage to a car key and two months for assaulting a police officer.

At the magistrates’ court he was given a concurrent three month term for disorderly behaviour on December 8 last year, four months for assaulting a constable, three months for resisting an officer, four months for assault on a female and four months for another assault on police.

The court heard that on December 8 last year police received a report that a female taxi dispatcher at Direct Cabs, Antrim Street, Lisburn, had been assaulted.

The defendant had hit her with a plastic bag and pushed her.

McConville had left the scene but then police were made aware of a disturbance at a shop in Bow Street Mall.

They approached the defendant who was intoxicated which was in breach of his bail conditions at the time.

He punched an officer on the face and continued to struggle with police. He also spat on another officer.

District Judge, Mr Mervyn Bates, said the pre-sentence report considered McConville to be at a high risk or re-offending.

He had a lot of lifestyle issues and 60 previous convictions.

A barrister representing the defendant said his life had been blighted not so much by drug abuse but by alcohol abuse. Judge Bates said there really was no alternative to a custodial sentence.