Publican avoids jail for outburst

BY DAVID FORSYTHE

A DISTRICT court judge was so appalled by the verbal abuse directed at a garda by a Cork publican that he was considering sending him to prison, a sitting of Macroom District Court was told.

Judge Adrian Harris said that the level of abuse directed at Garda Evan Horan by Pat O’Riordan, 52, of O’Riordan’s Bar, Coachford, was ‘among the worst I have ever heard’.

Giving evidence Garda Horan told Insp Anthony Harrington that at around 1.45am on Sunday morning, June 18th 2023 he was passing through the village of Coachford when he heard significant noise coming from the rear of O’Riordan’s Bar. Garda Horan said that there were a large number of people gathered on the premises drinking and socialising at well past the legal licensing hours.

Garda Horan said that he asked the landlord, Pat O’Riordan to begin moving people on and would allow him 15 minutes to do so. He put on the car’s blue lights. Garda Horan said that despite being asked to move the customers on, Mr O’Riordan repeatedly spoke to him through the passenger window of the patrol car asking ‘what are you doing here?’

Garda Horan said that Mr O’Riordan was clearly intoxicated and about five minutes later he came back to the patrol car and began verbally abusing him, this time through the driver’s window. Garda Horan told the court that Mr O’Riordan said: ‘Who the fuck do you think you are? You are a fucking c**t and your job is fucked.’ Mr O’Riordan’s daughter apologised to the garda for her father’s behaviour but Mr O’Riordan did not apologise.

Garda Horan said that he then exited the car park in his patrol car and there were still about 30 people at the rear of the pub. He said that Mr O’Riordan closed the gates and began beckoning people back into the pub.

Defence solicitor Sean Cahill said that the behaviour of his client was out of character and on the night in question he was hosting a party for his daughter who was leaving the country. He said that he is ordinarily well behaved and he wishes to apologise. He added that the premises is well run and does not usually cause any issues for the gardaí.

The court heard that Mr O’Riordan had one previous conviction for failing to allow gardaí to enter the premises in 2012.

Judge Adrian Harris said that the level of abuse was so severe and sustained that he was ‘minded to put him to prison’. He convicted Mr O’Riordan and sentenced him to one month in prison but suspended the sentence for two years on condition he be of good behaviour and does not drink alcohol in public. He was also fined €300.