Judge warns Fanad fisherman with ‘unhealthy catalogue’ to ‘watch himself

June 22, 2018

A Fanad man, who became ‘agitated and angry’ after being ejected from a Letterkenny nightclub has been fined and bound to the peace for a year. 

Mark Friel (28), with an address in Bristol, was charged with assaulting a member of the security staff at Voodoo in Letterkenny.

Friel was alleged to have shouted ‘Polish b******’ at one of the stewards before swinging an elbow and connecting with another steward.

“He was highly intoxicated and argumentative,” Garda Joe English told Letterkenny District Court.

“He was arrested can charged. He became abusive to the staff after being ejected. He did apologise for his behaviour on the night.”

Solicitor for Friel, Mr Frank Dorrian, said his client became ‘agitated and angry because of a slight he perceived had been visited on him’.

“It’s the type of thing that happens in a struggle and it appears the case that something happened to trigger this,” Mr Dorrian said.

“By the time he was leaving the Garda Station, he was no longer aggressive and he did all that he could to bring it back.

“He was out on an evening with a lady friend and had too much to drink. Someone struck him without warning as he was leaving the premises. His demeanour was affected by alcohol and he engaged with the stewards.

“He is otherwise well disposed and is in full-time employment as a fisherman. He considers this to be an aberration.”

Dorrian has ten previous convictions and Judge Paul Kelly advised that he ‘would need to watch himself’.

“He has an unattractive catalogue that shows a tendency for getting into too much trouble.”

Friel was fined €200 and bound to keep the peace for 12 months on his own bond of €200.


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