Called officer ‘a f---ing balloon’

Niall McCauley, Primrose Gardens, Banbridge, admitted disorderly behaviour and resisting police on October 2 this year.

The local magistrates’ court heard last Thursday that at 10.25pm police received a report of a disturbance at Maryville Crescent in Banbridge.

They saw the defendant who was highly intoxicated and police offered to convey him home.

When he got outside he became abusive saying he wanted to get home as soon as possible and called an officer ‘a f—king balloon’.

McCauley was warned about his behaviour but continued and was arrested for disorderly behaviour.

He began to resist and had to be taken to the ground where he kicked out at a constable.

The defendant was taken to Lurgan custody suite but was deemed unfit for interview and was charged the next morning at 8am. He said: “I resisted arrest.”

District Judge, Mr Paul Copeland, adjourned sentencing until December 17 so that a short sentence report could be obtained to consider McCauley’s suitability for community service.

Judge Copeland told the defendant that he had four convictions for disorderly behaviour and it was getting to the point where the tolerance of the court and the community was being tested.

“If you fail that test you will end up in prison,” he added.

The judge said that community service would give McCauley the chance to do something useful instead of ‘this drunken confrontation’ with the police.