Man said he’d bite off the noses of ‘pig’ gardaí

Gardaí were threatened their noses would be bitten off by a man who called them “pigs”.

Liam Doyle, of 66 Greenhills Court, South Douglas Rd, Cork, yesterday pleaded guilty, at Cork District Court, to being threatening and to being drunk and a danger.

Solicitor Frank Buttimer said the defendant had been “tipped over the edge” by the death of his twin sister in October. He was in or about the Silversprings Hotel when an incident occurred around 4am one morning in November. There was a saga about the non-arrival of a taxi, Mr Buttimer said. “He lost the run of himself.”

Inspector Adrian Gamble said hotel staff had removed a couple who were intoxicated and abusive. Gardaí spoke with the couple on the North Ring Road. “He was very abusive and threatening to gardaí. He said he would bite the gardaí’s nose off and he called them pigs. He was very intoxicated. He was arrested and conveyed to Mayfield Garda Station,” the inspector said.

Despite the plea of guilty, Doyle disputed the prosecution evidence and said: “It was nothing like that. It was tit-for-tat.”

Judge Olann Kelleher told the defendant was fortunate to be receiving a suspended sentence as he had previous convictions, and had jail terms in the past.