Jail and driving ban for Midlands man who kicked at Laois Offaly gardai

A THREE-month prison sentence and an eight-year driving ban were imposed on a young man at Tullamore District Court.

Brandon Buckley (21), Derryneavy, Ferbane, came before Judge Andrew Cody for sentencing after pleading guilty to a number of different offences.

The court heard that on October 6, 2020 at King Kebab, River Street, Clara, Mr Buckley abused staff at the take-away at 11.50pm and was shouting and roaring. When asked by Garda Eamon Carroll to be quiet he twice told gardai to “f... off”, Sergeant James O'Sullivan told the court.

Subsequently, on January 25, 2022, he had resisted arrest when he was a passenger in a car which had failed to stop and then became involved in a 25km pursuit by gardai.

The defendant was abusive and aggressive to gardai and he kicked at a garda and resisted when being put in a cell. Mr Buckley was also before the court for driving without insurance on February 3 last year.

Aine Rush, BL, defending, said Mr Buckley was a 21-year-old man whose only previous convictions were for road traffic and minor drug offences.

In relation to the insurance offence, he was only out of coverage for two days. Ms Rush said the accused worked in window, stairs and door fitting and was going down a wrong path with addiction to cocaine and alcohol at the time of his offending.

He had begun counselling and had stopped using drugs altogether and deeply regretted what he had done and apologised to the gardai. Ms Rush said he had engaged very well with the probation service and was supported by his parents.

Defence counsel also handed in a letter from an employer. A probation report was also handed to Judge Cody for his consideration prior to sentencing.

Sergeant O'Sullivan said Mr Buckley had been disqualified from driving last January for four years for driving without insurance. He had a drugs conviction for possession for sale or supply and had also been fined for public order and insurance offences.

Judge Cody imposed a three-month sentence for an assault on a garda on January 25 last, plus two further three-month sentences for assaults on gardai. Along with the eight-year disqualification from driving for having no insurance, another three-month sentence was imposed. No order was made that the sentences be consecutive.

Charges for disorderly conduct in a public place and public drunkenness in Clara on October 6, 2020 were taken into consideration.