A court has heard how two police officers who were executing a bench warrant were assaulted by the man they were trying to arrest.

On August 2, police attended a caravan in which Martin Connolly (71), of no fixed abode, was living in at the time.

During a contest at Enniskillen Magistrates Court on Monday, it was heard from two officers who gave evidence of how they had entered the piece of land on which the caravan was located to execute the warrant.

Denied

When asked by Connolly’s barrister, Ciaran Roddy, if they had broken the gate into the land, they both denied it.

Mr. Roddy also put it to the officers that there was no bench warrant to execute but they refuted this, as well as the claim that one of the officers grabbed Connolly, who had been sleeping in a chair, around the neck when he entered the caravan.

However, the officer denied this and said he had been hit by Connolly’s left fist when going to arrest him.

The officer also said Connolly “quite violently resisted” them when told of the bench warrant.

Connolly did not give evidence himself during the contest.

Submissions

In their submissions, the prosecution said the four complaints were made out and based on everything that had been heard it was beyond reasonable doubt that the charges were met.

Mr. Roddy said it was up to the court to ascertain the credibility and reliability of the evidence and what was said in court.

Satisfied

District Judge Steven Keown, in his findings, said he was satisfied the warrant existed and the officers were permitted to enter the caravan, and the offences were made out given the evidence heard.

For two charges of assault on police and two of resisting police, Connolly received a four-month prison sentence.