Drunken episode at garda station

A CROSSMAGLEN man, who was drunk and abusive while at a Garda station at the start of March, narrowly avoided a spell in prison when his solicitor stressed to a recent sitting of Monaghan District Court that any custodial sentence would deprive him of a residential treatment course he had secured to address his alcohol issues.

Martin Aherne with an address at Lismore, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, had pleaded guilty to being threatening and abusive, and to public intoxication at York Street, Castleblayney, on March 2, 2026.

Sergeant Lisa McEntee said Mr Aherne had presented himself at Castleblayney Garda Station, while very intoxicated, at 3:25pm on the Monday in question. He was unsteady on his feet and abusive to the gardaí, telling them to “f**k off”. He also pulled at the shirt collar of Garda Daniel O’Dowd, and was subsequently arrested.

Judge Raymond Finnegan was told the defendant had 14 previous convictions, the most recent recorded at Monaghan Circuit Court in July 2025 when he got a five-month suspended sentence and two-year driving disqualification affirmed for insurance offences.

At the district court a month earlier, in June of last year, he received consecutive five-month and two-month prison sentences, respectively, for failing to provide a blood or urine sample at Castleblayney Garda Station in May 2024, and for being abusive at Drumillard Little, Castleblayney in December 2024. Both prison terms had been suspended for 24 months, while a five-year driving disqualification had also been handed down for the sample refusal.

“This is a man not learning his lesson,” Judge Finnegan told defending solicitor Paul Tiernan.

Conceding that his client’s record wasn’t good, Mr Tiernan intimated he knew he was at risk of a prison sentence. Regarding the offence before the court, Mr Aherne had attended the Garda station after drinking from early that morning. He was at the station because he wanted to make a complaint about a “very traumatic incident” that occurred to him some time ago, but he was too drunk to deal with that matter.

Mr Aherne had apologised to Gda O’Dowd in the meantime. His issues with alcohol all arose from the traumatic incident referred to, Mr Tiernan said, but he was also insisting that he hadn’t taken a drink since March 16 last. In that regard, he had been engaging with Cuan Mhuire, which had accepted him for a residential course that he was soon to commence. The court was therefore asked to stay its hand regarding any custodial sentence, in order to allow the defendant complete that course.

Acceding to this, Judge Finnegan said he was remanding the defendant on continuing bail to September 14, to allow him avail of the Cuan Mhuire treatment. If it were completed, the court might have “a more sympathetic view” than it had at the moment.

“But it’s entirely in his hands,” the judge emphasised in conclusion. Mr Tiernan said he would explain this to his client.

* This article was produced with support from the Courts Reporting Scheme