Kildare man who threatened to fight garda must pay fine to his granny

A man who drunkenly challenged a female garda to a fight after he had fallen out with his grandmother was ordered to pay a €500 apology to the granny if he is to avoid a conviction.

“Oh, how brave!” scoffed Judge Desmond Zaidan at Dean Brophy (25) with an address at The Close, Rathconnel, Newbridge in Naas District Court last week.

Mr Brophy was charged with a section 6 breach of the Public Order Act – engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour in public – following his actions on the night of 18 January at Fenview Heights, Milltown.

“He had an row with his grandmother,” explained Sergeant Mary Meade.

“When gardaí arrived, he was drunk at the entrance of the estate and was shouting ‘you’re all scumbags, f**k you’ at the officers.

“When he saw that one of the guards was a young female, he said: ‘you’re only a young one, I’d have you on the ground in no time’,” said Sgt Meade, which prompted the judge’s derision.

“She threw him out for being drunk?” the judge guessed of the grandmother’s intent on the night, and Sergeant Meade said “yes”.

“Has your granny forgiven you?” the judge asked Mr Brophy.

“Yes,” the defendant replied.

“An altercation with your grandmother, and then you threatened to wrestle a female garda to the ground? How brave!” repeated the judge in his summation.

“Something gave you wings that night, and it wasn’t Red Bull,” suggested the judge.

Charitable donation

Defending solicitor Seamus Boyle asked for the case to be adjourned for a fortnight to allow his client to bring in €500 as a charitable donation to avoid a conviction; however, the judge was not convinced this was the correct path.

“That’s money you could give to your grandmother,” advised the judge, before the solution dawned on him.

“I will adjourn for two weeks so that he gives his granny the €500,” said the judge. “€500 through you, Mr Boyle, and that’s him saying sorry. I’d rather granny has the €500 than the state.

“And you’re not to ask your grandmother to give you back the €500,” Judge Zaidan added.

“Right, that’s €500 to Ann Casey, and remand until 6 March,” said the judge to Mr Boyle.

“If you show me the receipt on 6 March, I will give him section 1(i) [of the Probation Act],” concluded the judge.