A 24-YEAR-OLD man who told police officers attempting to restrain him that he hoped they were all “blown up like Ronan Kerr” has been sentenced to four months in custody.

Gavin Armstrong, of Kirk Crescent, Beragh, also told the officers that he hoped their families would be blown up by the IRA as he was placed in a police cell van after shouting sectarian comments in a waiting room at the South West Acute Hospital.

Armstrong pleaded guilty to four counts of assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest and using disorderly behaviour at the South West Acute Hospital on May 17 this year.

At Fermanagh Magistrates Court on Monday, district judge Nigel Broderick observed that the defendant had been “clearly out of control” and sentenced him to four months in jail.

The judge also ordered Armstrong to pay £250 in compensation to a police officer he bit during the incident.

However, following an application by his solicitor Sean Paul Begley, the defendant was released on his own bail of £500, pending an appeal against the sentence. The appeal is expected to take place early in November.

The court had earlier heard that, at 1am on May 17, police arrived at an address in Main Street, Beragh, following a report that this defendant was present and causing a disturbance. He was subsequently found in a bedroom of the property.

Officers were aware that Armstrong was subject to court bail and one of his conditions was not to consume alcohol. When he was informed that he was to be arrested, the defendant replied: “F**k this. I’m going to fight.” Armstrong took up a “fighting stance” against a wall in the room. He then punched a light bulb, which was on at the time, causing it to smash.

Officers deployed batons and CS spray to bring the defendant under control. Some of the officers were also affected by the spray, the court heard.

After he was conveyed to Omagh custody suite, Armstrong continued to use violent behaviour. He headbutted the custody sergeant’s computer monitor and knocked it over.

Complaining of a sore elbow, the defendant was taken to the South West Acute Hospital. While in a public waiting area, he hurled a string of verbal abuse and sectarian comments at the police officers.

Ignoring repeated warnings to stop his behaviour, as there were other members of the public present, Armstrong instead stood up and attempted to fight with the police. He was subsequently removed from the waiting area, but thrashed around in a violent manner as officers attempted to bring him under control.

Having been placed in leg restraints, he was taken to a waiting police cell van. The defendant told officers that he hoped they were all blown up “like Ronan Kerr” - a reference to the PSNI constable murdered by a dissident terrorist car bomb in Omagh in 2011.

He further stated that he hoped that their families would be blown up by the IRA. As he continued to thrash about, the defendant bit one of the officers on the little finger and also kicked him on the shins.

When Armstrong was cautioned with the various offences, he replied: “You’ll f**king regret this when I get Begley on you.” It took four police officers – as well as a civilian detention officer – to place him in a cell upon arrival at the police station. The defendant eventually went to sleep, the court heard.

In mitigation, defence solicitor Mr Begley told the court that there was no getting away from the fact that his client had been involved in a “very unpleasant” incident, particularly given where the better part of it had occurred.

Mr Begley admitted that Armstrong had consumed a large amount of alcohol on the night in question, but added that his “bizarre” actions had been completely unacceptable.

The solicitor said that the defendant did express his remorse and realised the gravity of his actions, adding that he was “completely ashamed” of what happened.

He told the court that his client had taken to using alcohol as a “coping mechanism” to deal with incidents that had recently occurred in the Omagh area. He added that, as a result of this stress and his binge drinking, his life had “spiralled out of control”.

After listening to Mr Begley’s submissions, and taking the pre-sentence report into account, district judge Mr Broderick observed that the defendant had been “quite clearly out of control” on the night in question.

The judge imposed a four-month jail term and a £25 offender levy. He also ordered the defendant to pay £250 compensation to the officer that he bit.