A Portadown man who abused police after being caught urinating in the street has been fined £500.
Sammy Hulme Finnegan, 38, of Inglewood Lodge, appeared before Craigavon Magistrates’ Court, charged with two counts of disorderly behaviour, one count of indecent behaviour and one count of assault on police.
The court was told that at 2am on Sunday May 28, police were on Church Street in Portadown when they observed Finnegan urinating against a door way.
Police stopped to speak to the defendant, who appeared to be intoxicated and asked him to cover himself up. He did not do so initially and instead laughed at police.
He appeared to approach a constable with a “raised left hand” leaving the constable in fear of being assaulted. The defendant initially refused to give police details and was shouting and swearing in the street. He was then placed in handcuffs for the safety of police while his identity was established.
Finnegan struggled with police and had to be restrained. Police took him home and he continued to shout and swear in a residential area. He also approached another police officer in an aggressive manner.
When police attempted to leave the area, the defendant ran at the police vehicle and tried to stop them leaving.
A defence solicitor told the court that his client was “very much embarrassed by his actions” on the night in question.
He explained that the defendant was out with friends in Portadown and had “drank far too much”. He had left the bar and returned again to use the bathroom, but was refused admittance due to the time.
He added that his client, who was “very drunk,” had felt “slightly intimidated” due to the presence of six police officers at the scene, but was “not listening” to the police due to the alcohol he had consumed.
District Judge Francis Rafferty described the incident as an “expensive night out for him” and imposed a total fine of £500.
The fines were £150 for indecent behaviour, £200 for assault on police and £150 for disorderly behaviour. The defendant was given 16 weeks to pay.
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