Taunted police about officers who have died

Craig Francis John Gibson, Moyraverty Court, Craigavon, admitted disorderly behaviour and damaging the front door of the Vintage bar on February 16 this year.

For each offence he was jailed for four months.

The court heard police were driving through Church Place at 12.50am when they saw the defendant kicking the front door of the Vintage bar.

When they spoke to Gibson he was shouting and swearing and refused to identify himself. He told them to ‘f—k off’.

In custody he became more and more abusive and said he wished all police officers should be blown up. He also made remarks about officers who had lost their lives in recent times and wished for those events to continue.

District Judge, Mr Mervyn Bates, said he was concerned about the nature of the disorderly behaviour and Gibson’s record of previous offending.

Mr Brendan Hagan, representing the defendant, said Gibson used exhibitionist drunken behaviour to attract the attention of the police when in the company of other young males. The others would back away and he would continue with the disorderly behaviour.

He added that the defendant did not have much recollection of the incident because of alcohol and apparently there was an incident inside the bar where Gibson would claim he was attacked by another person.

Mr Hagan said Gibson would apologise for the obnoxious comments he made to the police.

He added that the defendant was not consuming alcohol at the moment and was acting as a carer for his mother who was ill.

Judge Bates said this was the most offensive kind of disorderly behaviour.

Later in the court Mr Hagan applied for bail for Gibson to appeal against the sentence.

Judge Bates released the defendant pending appeal “largely due to the circumstances of his mother”.