Tallaght teen found guilty of calling Gardai scumbags and rats

By Brendan Grehan

A TEENAGER who called gardai “pigs, scumbags and rats” was found guilty by Tallaght Court.

The incident happened after the gardai were called to a domestic disturbance at the teenager’s home.

The 17-year-old, who has an address in Tallaght, pleaded not guilty to breaching the peace at a location in Tallaght on September 12, 2016.

Garda Paul McAuley told Judge Patricia McNamara that he had been called to a domestic incident at 8.15am on the above date.

He said he was speaking to a woman at the door of the house when a teenager started shouting abuse at him and his colleagues from an adjoining garden.

Garda McAuley said the teenager was calling them “pigs, scumbags and rats”.

He said he then spoke to the teenager’s step-father and added that on leaving the house he heard the teenager again shouting abuse at the gardai.

Garda McAuley said the teenager, who he identified as the defendant, continued to shout abuse at the gardai.

He said the teenager then fled across the estate but he was later arrested after a short foot chase at 9.05am.

Garda McAuley said the teenager was taken to Tallaght Garda Station and was later released into the care of social services as he could not get a family member to pick up the teenager at the station.

The teenager’s solicitor, Michael Hennessy, complained that this evidence was “somewhat prejudicial”.

Judge McNamara allowed the evidence.

Under cross-examination from Mr Hennessy, Garda McAuley identified the defendant as the one who had been shouting abuse.

The teenager told the court that he had not abused the gardai and that he had ran when he saw the gardai chasing him.

Mr Hennessy asked the judge to dismiss the case on the grounds that it was a case of mistaken identity.

Judge McNamara said she was satisfied with the prosecution evidence and that the defendant had verbally abused the gardai.

Finding the teenager guilty, she adjourned the case for four weeks for a probation report.