Four officers are needed to restrain drunk Portadown man

At a previous court Tom Mongan (38), Parkside, admitted disorderly behaviour, resisting police and obstructing police on July 5.

The case was adjourned so that a pre-sentence report could be obtained

The court heard that at just after 1am in Obins Street, Mongan was standing in the middle of the road. He raised a middle finger at a police vehicle and began shouting at a second vehicle. He was shouting and swearing loudly. Policed tried to move him off the road.

Four police officers were needed to restrain him and place him in handcuffs. He refused to co-operate and was placed in the cells.

A defence solicitor said Mongan accepted the incident was unsavoury and unnecessary. He had been abstaining from alcohol for a year and this time went out drinking. Alcohol was a consistent theme in his offending.

He added that Mongan said he had been assaulted after he left a bar and was trying to flag down police but accepted he acted irresponsibly after that. He said for the first time in a long time Mongan was in steady employment.

District Judge, Mr Mervyn Bates, said Mongan was accumulating a troubling record and seemed to react badly in these situations.

Mongan was sentenced to 120 hours community service.