Letterkenny District Court heard that Brian Bradley had become abusive to Gardai as they dealt with a public order incident in the town on May 16th this year.
Inspector David Kelly told Judge Paul Kelly that 26-year-old Bradley, from Sliabh Sneacht Road, Letterkenny, had failed to heed warnings from gardai.
Two men had been arguing on the Ramelton Road and gardai had told both of them to leave the area.
“One of the men left but Mr Bradley repeatedly forced his way into the situation despite repeated calls for him to also move on,” said Inspector Kelly.
“When Bradley was asked for his name, he refused to give in English, insisting on giving his name in Irish and asking to be addressed ‘as gaeilge’,” said the inspector.
“But when Mr Bradley was asked to spell his name, he couldn’t. Garda Molloy who was at the scene and who is a native Irish speaker soon ascertained that Mr Bradley didn’t have any grasp of the Irish language at all.”
Solicitor Patsy Gallagher said his client, who works part-time as a shop assistant, had been mortified by his actions the next day.
He spent the next three days trying to contact Garda McKenna and Garda Molloy to apologise for his behaviour, eventually speaking with one of them and apologising to him.
The solicitor said that Bradley had become involved because a friend had been assaulted.
He pleaded with the judge to be lenient with Bradley who had no previous convictions and had done something “totally out of character.”
Judge Paul Kelly told Bradley: “Gardai have enough on their hands dealing with public order incidents in Letterkenny without you intruding in what they are doing.
“Gardai are well capable of dealing with such incidents without your help.”
He ordered Bradley to make a €150 donation to the St Eunan’s Ladies U-14 football team which is playing in the All-Ireland Feile this weekend.
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