Drunk who banged on Garda station door demanding lift home jailed 

Coffey arrived at Clonakilty Garda Station  at 10.55pm drinking from an open bottle of Jack Daniels

Tony Coffey, who had 198 previous convictions, had already been detected by gardaí while intoxicated in a public place in Skibbereen when he went to the garda station that evening in Clonakilty. Picture: Larry Cummins

A man involved in a string of public order offences, including drunkenly banging on the door of a garda station while drinking Jack Daniels and demanding a lift home, has been jailed.

Tony Coffey, who had 198 previous convictions, had already been detected by gardaí while intoxicated in a public place in Skibbereen when he went to the garda station that evening in Clonakilty.

Coffey, 32, and formerly of Tralee, had been staying with his sister in Skibbereen and had only recently been released from prison when the offences were committed.

At Clonakilty District Court Coffey pleaded guilty to all matters, which began with the theft of a bottle of whiskey worth €40 from SuperValu in Clonakilty on April 20 last, and then gardaí finding him drunk in a public place at Sand Quay in the town at 3.30pm the same day. 

Judge James McNulty was told when found Coffey had fallen over due to his level of intoxication and had a large gash on his forehead.

Gardaí were alerted to the theft of the whiskey the following day, with CCTV showing Mr Coffey had hidden the bottle in his pants while paying for other items at the till at 2.30pm.

On May 21 at 11am gardaí in Skibbereen received reports of a male who was intoxicated and when they found Mr Coffey on High St he was stumbling around and being abusive to members of the public, telling them to "fuck off".

He was charged with public order offences but later the same day, at 10.55pm, Coffey arrived at Clonakilty Garda Station, drinking from an open litre bottle of Jack Daniels.

Sgt Paul Kelly told the judge that Coffey had demanded to be dropped home to Skibbereen, and while arrangements were made with his sister over the phone, he started banging on the station door.

Then on April 26 at 2pm Coffey was found engaging in threatening and abusive behaviour towards others at Fields supermarket in Skibbereen.

Judge McNulty was told that of  Coffey's 198 previous convictions, 96 were for public order offences, while he had 40 convictions for theft, and a smaller number for other offences including burglary and assault.

His solicitor, Colette McCarthy, said alcohol was a huge factor in her client's behaviour. 

She said he was not long out of prison when the offences occurred and he had wanted to abstain from alcohol, but his father had died and he had been unable to attend the funeral.

The court heard he was jailed on May 28 in Kerry having triggered a suspended sentence.

Judge McNulty said Mr Coffey was "a public nuisance" and he noted that the incident at Clonakilty Garda Station was on the same day as  Coffey abusing members of the public in Skibbereen.

He sentenced Mr Coffey to six months in prison for the theft of the whiskey and fined him €200 for the intoxication charge on May 21. 

He also sentenced him two months in prison for the public order offence on High St in Skibbereen to be served after the six-month sentence. 

Regarding the public order offending at Fields supermarket, he handed Mr Coffey another two-month sentence this time suspended for two years. 

He said the suspension of that sentence was on condition that Mr Coffey stay out of West Cork for the next two years. 

All remaining charges to which Mr Coffey pleaded guilty were taken into consideration.