An intoxicated cyclist who shouted ‘tiocfaidh ár lá’ at officers who attended to check on his welfare has been fined £250.
Court heard that upon arriving at the scene, officers observed the 56-year-old on the ground lying beside a bicycle with a bottle of alcohol in his pocket.
Gregor Murray, of Harbour Road in Kilkeel, had pleas of guilty entered to disorderly behaviour and cycling whilst unfit at Newry Magistrates’ on Wednesday.
Prosecution outlined that on September 25, at 4.45pm, police received a report of male collapsed on Harbour Road in Kilkeel.
Officers arrived to find this defendant on the ground lying beside a bicycle with a bottle of alcohol in his pocket.
Upon their approach, Murray got up and became aggressive towards them. He was verbally abusive and shouted “tiocfaidh ár lá”.
The defendant was warned about his behaviour – given the time of day there were members of the public in the vicinity – but he continued.
Murray then got onto his bicycle and attempted to make off. He was swerving on the footpath posing a danger to pedestrians.
He was subsequently apprehended and arrested for the matters before the court.
Defence solicitor Louise Moley stated: “Police had been called over concerns for his welfare. He had fallen off his bicylce and hurt himself.
“He instructs that he had been drinking at the harbour and he was on his way home when it happened. He was the only person who was hurt.”
She added: “It is accepted that his actions could have caused harm to others and the disorderly behaviour was down to his intoxication.”
Prosecution informed the court that Murray did have a record but submitted it was “all of quite some vintage”.
District Judge Eamonn King commented: “It says that he had been drinking at the harbour before he crashed his bicycle. He is lucky he didn’t crash into the harbour.”
Murray was ordered to pay a fine of £250, along with the offender’s levy of £15.
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