A 32-year-old man who defecated on the floor of a cell at Enniskillen Police Station and smeared his excrement around the walls before urinating on the door has been jailed for three months.

Richard Lucy, of Ferney Rise, Enniskillen, appeared in the dock at Fermanagh Court and admitted damaging a cell at Enniskillen Police Station, assaulting a civilian detention officer and attempting to assault a policewoman.

A prosecutor told the court that around 2am on Thursday, April 26, police went to Lucy's home at Ferney Rise and arrested him in relation to charges that were subsequently withdrawn. On the way to the police station he became agitated and violent. He made various indecent comments and lunging movements with his head to head-butt a policewoman.

On arrival at the police station he refused to co-operate, punching and striking a civilian detention officer. He was placed in a cell whereupon he defecated on the floor and wiped his excrement on the wall and urinated against the door.

The prosecutor explained that the cell required sterilisation.

Defence barrister, Miss Heather Philips, said Lucy was at home in his back yard with his dogs. He had been drinking after losing a very close friend and then the police arrived and said an injured party had made more allegations against him.

She explained that Lucy had just been released from prison after spending a considerable time in custody on charges that were dropped. Now "false allegations were again made against him" and it was his distress at the allegations that caused him to behave in the way he did.

"He clearly had alcohol on board and over-reacted," said Miss Philips.

She said Lucy has significant mental health problems and his family offers him as much support as they can. He was embarrassed by his actions and apologised profusely throughout his police interview.

"He is a young man who is determined to draw a line under his offending behaviour," stated Miss Philips.

District Judge Mervyn Bates told Lucy: "The irony of this case is, had you behaved in a reasonable manner in police custody, you wouldn't have been here as the other charges were withdrawn.

"The criminal damage was certainly unsavoury and unpleasant and expensive to remedy," he added.