COURTS: A cyclist who was verbally abusive towards a member of the Gardaí, claimed that he had attempted to kill him.
Alex Doherty, 58, with an address at The Haw Road, Lifford was given a fixed on the spot penalty notice after an alleged incident of road rage on 30th March, 2015.
Garda Kevin Lynch, observed Mr Doherty cycling erratically in Lisnaree, Convoy.
In his evidence to the court, Garda Lynch said, “On March 30th, 2015, I observed a cyclist, whom I now know to be Alex Doherty give a two fingered salute to a driver of a transit van at Lisnaree, Convoy.
“As I approached the cyclist he also gave me a two fingered salute a number of times.
“I then asked the cyclist to pull over but he started to verbally abuse me and repeatedly told me to f**k off.
“I continued to ask him to pull over, but he refused, and again kept telling me to f**k off.
“He then started shouting that I had attempted to kill him.”
Garda Lynch drove a short distance ahead of the cyclist and pulled his vehicle over to the side of the road, he then got out of the vehicle, and signalled the defendant to stop, but he attempted to cycle around.
“I then got of out of my patrol car, and signalled for him to stop, when he approached me he attempted to cycle around me.
“He then stopped and stood in front of me, and again he continued to verbally abuse me, again he told me to f**k off, and he said I’d tried to kill him.
“At this stage, we were causing a bit of an obstruction, and cars had to pull out around us, I asked the defendant to stand over at the side of the road, but he refused.
“He was causing a scene, and refused to go to the side of the road, he then said to me that he’d take me down to the ground, and that he had more power than I knew he had.”
Garda Lynch said that if he hadn’t been on his own, he would’ve attempted a different approach, but at this stage was just trying to calm the defendant down.
“He was highly agitated, and I was really taken back by his manner, the spit was flying from his mouth – as he continued to scream at me.
“He then picked up his bike, and swung it at me, and he named a number of politicians that would deal with me in relation to the incident.
“I asked for his name and details, and he eventually gave them to me, and I then allowed him to leave the scene to avoid any more confrontation.
“I fixed a penalty notice at the scene for threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour, however, this hasn’t been paid.”
Judge Paul Kelly issued a bench warrant for sentence.