Man pepper sprayed outside Portlaoise Garda Station

A man had to be pepper sprayed as he refused to get out of a car for gardaí in Portlaoise. 

Alan McCabe (42) with addresses at 38 Ard Eireann, Mountrath and 6 Faughart, Crumlin, Dublin 12 was accused of failing to provide information to gardaí at The Money Tree, Mountrath on May 20, 2022. The defendant, who wasn’t in court,  was also accused of obstructing a peace officer and possession of a knife outside Portlaoise Garda Station on the same date. 

Garda Sergeant Brian Moran said he was on patrol in an unmarked car when he spotted a 171D registered silver Audi estate travelling towards Mountrath. He said the car was driving at an excessive speed of 115kph. 

Sgt Moran said he put on his blue flashing lights and  the car failed to pull over for about three kilometres. When the car did stop, Sgt Moran said the man became “argumentative and uncooperative” and said he didn’t have identification. “He told me to go and do my PULSE check,” said Sgt Moran.  

Sgt Moran said the man then informed him he was leaving the scene and he drove to Portlaoise Garda Station. Sgt Moran said he was a “very large man” and he called for back up from Garda Dave Noland and Garda Luke King.  Garda King used pepper spray when the man refused to get out of the car. 

Sgt Moran said a card which folds into a knife was discovered during a search of the man’s wallet. He said the defendant gave no reason for having the item. He said gardaí also discovered “blue lights. These are used by emergency vehicles,” he said. Sgt Moran said there was no charge in relation to the lights.  

Garda Luke King gave evidence that he was called to assist on the date. 

“I observed a male that was refusing to exit the vehicle having been informed that he was being arrested,” he explained. 

Garda King said he used pepper spray and the man then complied with gardai. 

Garda Dave Nolan said the man was sitting in the driver’s seat and was “resisting arrest and quite aggressive" on the date in question. 

Andrew Dunne BL said his client suffers with “extreme mental health difficulties”. 

Judge Andrew Cody convicted the man and disqualified him from driving for a year for failing to provide information and imposed a €500 fine. He fined him a further €300 for possession of a knife and €200 for resisting arrest. Judge Cody fixed recognisance for appeal at the sitting of Portlaoise District Court.