Judge’s disgust that ‘man could hide behind sick child’

John Joseph Mulholland (25), whose address was given to the court as Drumellan Mews, Craigavon, admitted disorderly behaviour at Millennium Way, Lurgan, on November 22 last year.

He was fined £200 and ordered to pay a £15 offender’s levy.

The case had been adjourned from a previous court for a pre-sentence report but this was not available because Mulholland missed his appointment with probation.

His solicitor said that the defendant’s young child was sick and attending hospital so everything got on top of him.

The court heard that at 7pm police received a report of a drunken man at Tescos in Lurgan.

Mulholland was sleeping on a window sill and when police went to him he was unsteady on his feet.

They tried to get his address so that they could convey him home but the defendant told police to ‘go f—k themselves’.

There were families with young children in the area at the time.

District Judge, Mrs Bernie Kelly, said she found it insulting in the extreme that a grown man could hide behind a sick child.

“He has an atrocious record,” she added. “Here he was so intoxicated he could barely stand.

“He didn’t give two thoughts for his sick daughter on this occasion.”