Courts / Dublin / Report

Man removed from court after calling gardai "a gang of thugs" and "dirty liars"

Date
2015-02-09

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Balbriggan

County
Dublin

Summary

During a hearing at Swords District Court, James Heraghty, aged 50, was removed from the courtroom after calling the Gardaí a "gang of thugs" and "dirty liars" and shouting "Make me" at Judge Dermot Dempsey. Heraghty had been charged with assaulting Garda Gavin McGee, obstruction, using threatening and abusive behaviour and being intoxicated on 29 April 2014 at Vauxhall Street, Balbriggan. The Gardaí had detained him after an incident at the Combined Clubs Community Centre where he had shouted at the building and struck the Garda. Heraghty was arrested, brought to the station and later stood up and refused to sit when Judge Dempsey ordered him to. He was warned not to disrupt the court again. Judge Dempsey convicted him of obstruction, assault and threatening behaviour, sentencing him to four months in prison, with the terms run concurrently. The court noted he had 68 previous convictions, including four for assaulting Gardaí. James Heraghty pleaded not guilty.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man removed from court after calling gardai "a gang of thugs" and "dirty liars". Charges or matters: assaulting Garda Gavin McGee, obstruction, using threatening and abusive behaviour and being intoxicated on April 29th, 2014 at Vauxhall Street in Balbriggan. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Found guilty

When:

April 29th, 2014 Hearing Or Sentence
2015-02-09 Publication

Why: He said because Heraghty was resisting arrest he had to use pepper spray on him and Heraghty continued to resist arrest. CNI source report

Case subjects

James Heraghty

Convicted Person

Charges: assaulting Garda Gavin McGee, obstruction, using threatening and abusive behaviour and being intoxicated on April 29th, 2014 at Vauxhall Street in Balbriggan (Proven)

Plea: Not guilty

Finding: Found guilty

Outcome: Found guilty; He was sentenced to a total of four months in prison after Judge Dempsey found him guilty of the offences. Judge Dempsey convicted and sentenced him four months for obstruction, two months for assaulting Gda McGee and two months for using threatening and abusive behaviour to run concurrently.