Man on four bottles of vodka per day when involved in riot

A chronic alcoholic who was drinking four bottles of vodka daily, has received a six-year prison sentence for throwing scaffolding poles at gardaí during the 2006 Dublin city centre 'Love Ulster' riot.

John Coffey (aged 32), told gardaí he did not know what the parade was about but had met a man who gave him cans of beer and encouraged him to join in the disturbance.

Coffey, with an address at Harcourt Terrace, Dublin 2 pleaded guilty to violent disorder on O'Connell Street on February 25, 2006. He had 120 previous convictions, mostly for public order offences.

Defence counsel, Mr Pieter Le Vert BL, told Judge Frank O'Donnell at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that Coffey's father was a violent alcoholic who would beat him when he tried to intervene on behalf of his mother or younger siblings.

Mr Le Vert noted Coffey had been drinking four full size bottles of vodka a day at the time of this offence and added: "He is sincerely sorry and apologises to the gardaí, the people of Dublin and the courts."

Judge O'Donnell told Coffey that although he was satisfied he was not a political activist "it is quite clear from the photos that you were an active participant in that orgy of violence."

Judge O'Donnell said Coffey's probation report made "very sad reading" but added that "the people have to be protected, the gardaí have to be protected."

He suspended the last year of sentence because of "an element of hope" for Coffey's future outlined by the Probation Services report.

Garda Justin Barker told prosecuting counsel, Ms Caroline Cummings BL, that Coffey was identified from photographs and in media footage of him and others throwing scaffolding poles at gardaí.

Coffey initially tried to downplay his involvement and claimed he had only been in the area briefly and wasn't a riot participant but subsequently admitted he was in O'Connell Street that day waiting for the off-licences to open.

Gda Baker said Coffey told gardaí he had already consumed a large bottle of vodka before being given cans of beer by a man who encouraged him to participate in the disturbance and did not remember much about the riot because he was drunk.