A drunk-driver who spat in the face of a Garda outside a shopping centre at 8.30am has been ordered to keep the peace.
Michael Gamble appeared at Letterkenny District Court today charged with assaulting and refusing to give a sample.
Garda Neil Murphy told the court that on December 27th last at Glencar Shopping Centre in Letterkenny, they came across Gamble.
They spoke to the 52-year-old whom they suspected of drink-driving.
Gamble of Ballyboluder, Trentagh, refused to comply with Garda Murphy and his colleague Garda Finn.
He resisted arrested and when he was retrained, handcuffed and was being put in the Garda patrol car, he spat in the face of Garda Finn.
He was taken to Letterkenny Garda station where he continued to be aggressive and refused to give a sample.
Solicitor Patsy Gallagher said his client had been at a friend’s house all night and it had been a “long night.”
He said his client was apologetic and was embarrassed and remorseful.
He said his client was now 52 and had only one previous conviction and this was when he was aged 18 years.
Judge Paul Kelly told Gamble that what he did to Garda Finn was disgusting.
He added that Gardai had a difficult enough job without this “wild behaviour.”
He said he had Garda Finn to thanks and he was very fortunate that the Garda was “magnanimous and gracious” in his approach to the case.
He ordered him to enter into a peace bond for one year on the charge of the assault and he fined him €150 and banned him from driving for four years for refusing to give a sample.