‘You’ll end up like Ronan Kerr’, he taunted officers
A 19-year-old Irvinestown man who told one police officer “you’ll end up like Ronan Kerr” and another that he would ‘blow him up’ has been jailed for ten months for the crimes of assault on police, criminal damage and disorderly behaviour.
Lee Rogers of Sallys Wood, Irvinestown, appeared via videolink at Enniskillen Magistrates Court.
The prosecutor told the court that on December 20, 2012 at 1.45am police were called to a road traffic collision on the Mossfield Road near Enniskillen. Police located the defendant and a female walking towards Enniskillen about half a mile fro the crash. They spoke to both and detected a strong smell of alcohol and both became verbally abusive.
The female began to struggle with police and the defendant began shouting at police: “Stand back or I will knock your f****** head off son.” He became aggressive and squared up to the police officer: “Come on then let’s go right now big man” He then pushed him in the chest.
Rogers was subsequently arrested. When being placed inside the van he headbutted the rear passenger window four times and was spitting. At this point he said to the officer: “You’ll end up like Ronan Kerr, you don’t know who you’re messing with, I will blow you up.”
In a separate incident on July 21, 2013 the prosecutor explained that on 11.30pm police outside Pat’s Bar, Enniskillen went to speak to the defendant who ran off in the direction of Wetherspoons pub.
Around an hour later in the Middleton Street area of Enniskillen they approached the defendant who was aggressive and abusive. He was warned about his behaviour and told to calm down. He ignored and when he was to be arrested resisted police and ran off towards the Broadmeadow.
A member of the public who witnessed Rogers running towards the area was then the subject of the defendant’s abuse.
Rogers was arrested and told the officer: “I’m going to f****** kill you, you skinny f***”. When he was being placed in the police vehicle yet again Rogers was abusive saying: “You are f****** dead, boom, boom, boom.”
Tommy Owens, defending said that in the first incident it was clear Rogers was cooperating with police and only when he thought his girlfriend was being manhandled did he become aggressive and used abusive language.
In the second instance Mr Owens claimed that the abuse was mainly verbal. He said the common factor in each of the incidents was that Rogers had consumed alcohol and abusive substances. He told the court that Rogers had problems with alcohol and drugs and that when interviewed Rogers did not have much recollection of the incidents.
Mr Owens explained Rogers was to become a father and wished to take steps to alcohol and drug addiction. He asked that the judge not activate the suspended sentence hanging over Rogers as ‘prison was clearly not helping him’.
District judge Nigel Broderick remarked that the defendant had a very poor record and noted there was a high chance of re-offending. After careful consideration he activated the suspended sentence .