Man made homophobic remark to officer

Antonio Augusto Melicio, Thomas Street, Portadown, called the officer a ‘lesbian b****h’ as she was arresting him for assaulting her.

For disorderly behaviour, assault on the police and resisting arrest he was sentenced to two months in prison, suspended 
for two years.

The court heard that on June 1 this year a police mobile patrol went to Thomas Street at 2.25am where they saw the defendant standing in the middle of the road with his hands in the air.

His friends said that the defendant’s partner would not let him into her property to retrieve his passport.

Police spoke to her at her home and when she retrieved the passport Melicio then asked for his mobile 
phone as well.

He became aggressive and was making offensive gestures and shouting at her. He was requested to lower the tone of his voice because of 
the time of night.

The defendant kept saying “my phone, my phone” while pacing up George Street and pushed an officer in the chest causing her to 
stumble backwards.

As he struggled he grabbed the same officer by the throat and had to be taken to the ground and handcuffed. He made a further attempt to assault the same officer by going as if to head-butt her and called her “b****h’ and lesbian b****h”.

The prosecutor said the charges were aggravated by the homophobia displayed by the defendant. The officer sustained injuries to her neck.

Mr Conor Downey, representing the defendant, said Melicio was in a relationship with this lady and they were now back together again.

Melicio fully accepted this was very unsavoury conduct, added Mr Downey.

He said that the defendant was humiliated by his behaviour and while he accepted he made those comments he does not harbour those 
views.

Deputy District Judge, Mr Joe Rice, said the court took a serious view of the case but he was willing to give the defendant a chance.