Longford judge tells man he ‘is getting away with blue murder’

A judge has told a Longford man he is “getting away with blue murder” after being convicted last week of hurling abuse at door staff when refused entry to a licenced premises.

Judge Seamus Hughes told Brendan Kelleher, of 1 Main Street, Newtownforbes, Co Longford he will go to jail if he fails to comply with a 200 hour community service order following his sentencing at last week’s sitting of Longford District Court.

The 31-year-old was charged with being intoxicated in a public place and of engaging in threatening and abusive behaviour on July 13 2019.

Sgt Paddy McGirl said gardaí received a report of a male being in an intoxicated state at around 4:15pm on Ballymahon Street.

He said when gardaí arrived Mr Kelleher had been refused entry to a licenced premises and became abusive to door staff as a result.

That, he said, ended in the Longford man being arrested and brought to Longford Garda Station.

The court was informed how Mr Kelleher had 13 prior convictions, including six for similar public order offences.

The most recent of those came last September when Mr Kelleher was fined €500 for failing to comply with a garda’s directions and for a second public order offence.

Asked if he had paid those and other fines issued to him in the past, Mr Kelleher insisted he had.

John Quinn, defending, said Mr Kelleher had remained free from drink for the previous six months, but on the day had succumbed to “a slip”.

He said: “He (Mr Kelleher) was arrested for his own safety because he was quite inebriated.”

Judge Hughes offered up a dim view, however, of Mr Kelleher’s behaviour, describing it as an “utter disgrace and a terrible sight in any town in Ireland”.

In taking note of Mr Kelleher’s “very poor record”, Judge Hughes ordered him to do 200 hours of community service in lieu of two months in prison.

That term was added to the Section 6 threatening and abusive behaviour charge while the corresponding Section 4 charge of being intoxicated in a public place was struck out.

In doing so, Judge Hughes warned Mr Quinn to inform his client of what was facing him if he did not comply with the court’s ruling.

“He will serve the two months if he fails to serve the 200 hours because he is getting away with blue murder that fella,” he said.