Two-months’ jail for serial public order offender

A 25-YEAR-OLD Monaghan man with a long history of previous encounters with the law was given a two-month prison sentence when fresh public order offences were dealt with at a recent sitting of Monaghan District Court.

Tyrone McCann of 107 Mullaghmatt, Monaghan town, who appeared in custody by video link after being arrested on a bench warrant for failing to appear at an earlier hearing, had pleaded guilty to charges of public intoxication at Mullaghmatt on April 9 last, and of intoxication and engaging in threatening and abusive behaviour at Glaslough Street, Monaghan on April 10.

Solicitor Niall Fox noted his client had been remanded in custody with consent to bail at the Cavan court on the previous Thursday. He failed to appear at the Monaghan hearing on Monday April 28 because he had been assaulted the evening before and was in hospital from the Sunday night into Monday morning. McCann had sustained three fractured ribs, and his mother was at this hearing with a letter to prove his injuries and attendance at Cavan hospital. Judge Ciaran Liddy agreed to cancel the relevant bench warrant.

Garda Inspector Declan McGarvey said gardaí were on patrol in Mullaghmatt on April 9, 2025 when at 10.30pm they observed Tyrone McCann highly intoxicated and unsteady on his feet. He was arrested for his own safety.

On the following day April 10 at 5:50pm a report was received about a topless man shouting and swaying on Glaslough Street. This was McCann, who was drunk and became threatening and abusive when gardaí approached.

McCann had 148 previous convictions, the inspector revealed, the majority of which were for public order breaches. In January he was given a three-month prison sentence for assault, with related theft and public order counts taken into consideration.

Mr Fox said the defendant had considerable issues with alcohol, which appeared to be a factor every time he got into trouble. It was accepted he was intoxicated during the incidents before the court and that his behaviour was “regrettable”, the lawyer added.

Imposing the two-month jail term from May 1 for the threatening behaviour, Judge Liddy took the other counts into consideration.