A man who described his own actions as “a puke” has plead guilty at Fermanagh Magistrates court to three counts of assaulting a police officer. Martin McGrory of Lurganboy Park Newtownbutler was fined a total of £450 by District Judge Michael Ranahan who said that “police have a job to do and they don’t need people like you making it any more difficult.”

The court heard how in the early hours of May 20, 2018, an altercation between several men at the Diamond in Enniskillen saw police get involved to calm the dispute. The defendant, the court was told, then became involved with police, first putting his shoulder into an officer before becoming animated waving his hands in front of an officer’s face and which point his arm struck the officer’s face.

The 27 year old defendant was arrested and placed in handcuffs. He was later released by police after he had “calmed down” the prosecution explained.

Another fight occurred with the same individuals as before and police again moved in to deal with the situation an it was at this point that McGrory grabbed a police officer in an attempt to drag him away from another individual.

The defendant was once again arrested.

Solicitor, Niall Bogue, told the court that the “behaviour was completely out of character” for his client, a barber by trade, and that he was “very remorseful” for his behaviour.

Mr Bogue explained that McGrory had seen his friend become involved in an altercation and that this had made him “extremely agitated and that he had vented his frustrated at the police.”

Mr Bogue continued by saying that his client had “rather succinctly summed up his own actions by describing them as “a puke””.

Continuing the solicitor said that the pulling up of the officer was “unsavoury” but that the initial assault was more “reckless in nature” and that it was unintentional and occurred because his client was waving his hands.

In passing sentence Judge Ranahan fined McGrory £450 and said “if you do anything like this again you will find yourself custody.”