by Andrew Carey
A LIMERICK man was jailed for contempt of court last week after he called the judge a “f**ing a**hole” as he protested his innocence in an assault case.
The 32-year-old Limerick man who cannot be named for legal reasons as he is also facing rape charges, was before Limerick District Court last week on a charge of assaulting a woman in the city over two years ago.
It is alleged the defendant bit the woman’s thumb during an incident at Patrick Street, on May 2, 2012 and when he was charged by a female Garda, he told her to “go f**k yourself”
Under heavy guard from prison officers and Gardaí, the defendant protested his innocence claiming that the woman was telling lies.
“I was the one assaulted, not her,” he said
He added that forensic evidence would prove this.
During the tirade, the man was warned if he continued he would be held in contempt.
However, the man continued to shout before calling the judge a “f**ing a**hole”.
Judge O’Kelly ordered that he be removed from the courtroom and was remanded in a holding cell for a number of hours.
When the case was recalled, defending solicitor Sarah Ryan said her client wished to express his apologies to the court.
When Judge O’Kelly questioned if this was genuine, the man launched into another bout of foul mouthed abuse.
Stating that the man’s behaviour was unacceptable, Judge O’Kelly said he was holding him in contempt ashe was interfering with the business of the court.
Imposing a seven day prison sentence, Judge O’Kelly warned that; “Law and order must be maintained, particularly in a court of law.”
However, the accused man continued to protest his innocence saying “I don’t care, it’s one law for one and another law for another.”
The case was adjourned until next week while the defendant is currently on remand awaiting trial at the Central Criminal Court.
He is accused of raping and assaulting a woman at a flat near the city centre on May 3, 2013.
