A MAN who dropped his trousers on St Patrick’s Day 2022 and asked a garda to ‘suck my dickie dickie’ has been placed on a probation bond.
Patrick O’Driscoll (38) of 13 Mardyke Park, Skibbereen, pleaded guilty – through his solicitor Colette McCarthy at Skibbereen District Court – to a charge of breaching the peace.
It was around midnight on March 17th 2022, Sgt Paul Kelly told the court, when two male members of the gardaí, approached the accused, in the company of another man, at Kilmacabea in Leap.
‘Patrick O’Driscoll was very intoxicated,’ said the sergeant. ‘He was standing at the side of the road and was very abusive to the gardaí. ‘He began shouting, “I am going to f**k your wives. They are going to suck my dick” and then he exposed his genitals to the gardaí.
‘There was a large crowd socialising in Leap at the time,’ according to the sergeant.
Gardaí asked him to desist but he failed to do so. Back-up was called and the accused continued to be abusive.
Both men were arrested and brought to Clonakilty Garda Station where the abuse continued, said the sergeant, who also outlined some of the accused’s 68 previous convictions to the court.
‘He has no recollection of this event and cannot recall dropping his trousers,’ Ms McCarthy stated in his defence. ‘But – after not being allowed into an event – he does accept that he behaved very badly.’
In previous years, Ms McCarthy said her client had been in and out of Skibbereen District Court on an almost fortnightly basis, but all that changed with the birth of his son.
She said he has not been in trouble in recent years except for this, and one other minor, incident.
‘He knows he can’t continue to do what he is doing and is willing to do voluntary work in the graveyard, which can be unkempt, to make amends,’ she said.
Judge James McNulty read a probation officer’s report, which he described as ‘enlightening’, and noted the accused’s willingness to engage with his GP, receive addiction counselling in relation to alcohol misuse, and his willingness to work.
‘I would like to consider a community service order but prison is on the menu,’ said the judge, who ultimately decided to deal with the charge by placing the accused on a bond, which means he will be under the supervision of the probation service for a year.
‘I need to be satisfied that he is making progress,’ said the judge, who asked, ‘Is there a retired garda who would supervise him getting tools and doing the work at the graveyard?
‘There might be somebody who, as a kindness, would supervise a man who wants to work,’ he added.
‘If Patrick does this, and stays out of trouble, it will be to his credit,’ said the judge, who convicted the accused but deferred the imposition of penalty until May 9th.
