Chef jailed for lashing out at gardaí after smashing Cork bus station windows

Jamie Kavanagh is accused of obstruction of gardaí, possession of a blade, being drunk and a danger, being threatening and abusive and causing criminal damage on February 14 at Parnell Place bus station. File picture: Eddie O'Hare

A 30-year-old chef who smashed windows at the bus station on Parnell Place and then lashed out with both hands against gardaí dealing with the situation has been jailed for 10 months.

Jamie Kavanagh of Fernwalk, Greenfields, Ballincollig, County Cork, appeared before Cork District Court where Sergeant Dave Delea outlined the background to the incident.

Mr Kavanagh is accused of obstruction of gardaí, possession of a blade, being drunk and a danger, being threatening and abusive and causing criminal damage on February 14 at the bus station. Defence solicitor Eddie Burke said the accused was pleading guilty to all charges.

Repairing the criminal damage cost more than €2,000 and it was accepted by the defence that it would not be possible for Mr Kavanagh to raise this compensation.

Judge Mary Dorgan offered to suspend the last two months of the 10-month sentence if the accused would comply with the directions of the Probation Service. 

However, the defendant, who appeared by video link from prison said he was not interested in going to probation and just wanted to go back to working full time once his time in jail was completed.

The judge had suggested that the probation service may be of assistance to him in dealing with his underlying alcohol addiction.

Mr Burke said the young man’s 45 previous convictions for the one offence of being intoxicated to the extent that he was a source of danger to himself or others spoke volumes about the defendant’s background problem.

Sergeant Dave Delea described the aftermath of the criminal damage incident when gardaí arrived at the bus station: “As gardaí were assisting him to stand up he became abusive and told gardaí to f*** off in an angry tone of voice and tensed up his body, became aggressive and lashed out with both hands. 

"Two windows were smashed at the bus station a short time earlier that day."

Mr Burke said the accused qualified as a chef and worked in major hotels in Cork and Killarney but that when issues arose for him he turned to alcohol.

Judge Dorgan said: “You are very highly qualified as a chef. It is an awful shame you have this addiction issue. Are you going to deal with it?” Jamie Kavanagh replied: “I am trying to stay off drink.”