Threatened to knock police officers out

When police were called to deal with an ‘ugly incident’ involving a drunken Banbridge man two officers were kicked by him, the local court heard last Thursday.
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At a previous court Paul Bingham (24), Linenhall Street, Banbridge, pleaded guilty to two charges of assault on the police, resisting police and disorderly behaviour at Iveagh Drive in the town on August 18 this year.

He was given a combination order of 80 hours community service and 18 months probation and ordered to pay £100 compensation to each of the two officers he assaulted.

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The case was adjourned from the previous hearing so that a pre-sentence report could be obtained.

The court heard that at 12.42am police received a 999 call from the defendant’s girlfriend and when police arrived at the address they found Bingham who was heavily intoxicated.

He threatened to knock the officers out if they did not leave the house.

Bingham pushed one officer who fell back on a bed and kicked an officer on the shin.

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He was shouting and swearing and kicked another officer on the hip.

A barrister representing Bingham said he had substantial previous convictions and realised that these were serious matters.

He added that the defendant’s behaviour was ‘totally unacceptable’ and pointed out that his client had spent ten days in custody for these offences before getting High Court bail.

The lawyer said that since these offences Bingham had stayed off alcohol and there had been no offending.

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Most of his offences were fuelled by alcohol, he went on, and he had little or no recollection of what happened this night.

He suggested that a recommendation in the probation report of an enhanced combination order might help Bingham deal with his alcohol problem and put something back into the community.

The barrister said his client realised that if he did not co-operate the order would be revoked.

Deputy District Judge Laura Ivers said this was an ‘ugly incident’.

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Imposing the enhanced combination order she told Bingham it was not a ‘soft option’ and if he broke the order he would be back in court.

She added that the defendant should continue to stay away from alcohol for his own good and for the good of members of the public.

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