A Portadown man who walked in front of traffic and swore at drivers in the middle of the afternoon before abusing police has narrowly avoided prison.
Christopher Reid, of Red Lion Road in Kilmore, appeared before Armagh Magistrates’ Court charged with a single count of disorderly behaviour, which also involved derogatory comments about a district judge who was not present at the scene.
The 37-year-old was spotted walking down the middle of the Kilmore Road at approximately 4.20pm on Sunday, October 22. He was jumping in front of cars and being abusive to passing motorists.
Police, who were called as a result, said Reid was walking along the centre of the Red Lion Road close to the junction of Kilmore Road, giving hand gestures, shouting and swearing at passing cars.
Police spoke with Reid and offered to return him home, however, he refused and continued to walk up the middle of the road where he continued to shout and swear at drivers.
Officers issued several warnings about his behaviour but, nonetheless, Reid continued in the same vein.
Eventually, officers got him into a police car and attempted to return home, leaving him outside his address, but he immediately left and began running down the road shouting at police, calling them “dirty uniform b******s and scumbags” and making references to District Judge Bernie Kelly. It was at this point he was arrested.
District Judge Anne Marshall, addressing the defendant, described his behaviour as “absolutely terrible”.
“The police came along and actually offered to bring you home and you continue this dreadful behaviour and they warned you and you continue to dig in. You made very derogatory comments in relation to police. The neighbours all had to come out and see what was going on; cars were swerving around you, it’s an absolutely dreadful incident.”
Reid was handed a two month prison sentence suspended for 18 months “to ensure there’s no repeat of this behaviour for the next year and a half”.
