Wicklow man fined after hurling homophobic abuse at gardaí during domestic call
The Wicklow PeopleA Wicklow man who subjected gardaí to a string of verbal abuse, including homophobic slurs and a remark comparing one officer to Mr Miyagi from The Karate Kid, has been fined €700
Martin Byrne (40), with an address at O’Byrne Road, Bray, pleaded guilty at a sitting of Bray District Court to two public order offences.
The court heard that on December 15, 2025, gardaí responded to a domestic call at the accused’s home address.
When gardaí arrived, Mr Byrne was outside the house, swaying back and forth. When asked by gardaí what was in his pocket, he replied: “The only thing in my pocket is a big f***ing d**k.”
When placed under arrest, the defendant proceeded to insult gardaí, calling one garda “a big lanky c**t”. The court heard that he also told another garda that he was “a Mr Miyagi looking c**t”, in a reference to the character from The Karate Kid.
While in custody at Bray Garda Station, the court was told Mr Byrne continued his abusive behaviour and hurled homophobic slurs at gardaí.
When questioned about what caused his behaviour, Mr Byrne stated that he had smoked crack cocaine all day. Solicitor for the accused, Michael O’Connor, clarified that his client was intoxicated due to copious alcohol consumption.
Mr O’Connor told the court that Mr Byrne had “the worst week of his life”, having lost his job and with his wife having filed for divorce. He said Mr Byrne was a hardworking and decent man who had used alcohol to cope with the breakdown of his marriage and the loss of his employment.
Legal aid was granted to Mr O’Connor. Judge David Kennedy described Mr Byrne’s actions on the night in question as “charming behaviour”.
Judge Kennedy fined the defendant €700 and gave him five months to pay.