The defendant claimed he had no memory of the incident
A CLABBY man who is accused of trying to import 3,000 diazepam tablets has issued a grovelling apology after he threatened a judge in court.
Graeme Stronge (33) of Camgart Road, claimed he had no memory of the incident in which he had to be physically restrained at Strabane Magistrates Court on Thursday as he hurled verbal abuse at a female police officer and told District Judge Nigel Broderick that he would ‘get him’, calling him a “fenian b*****d”.
However, he appeared before Enniskillen Magistrates Court on Monday via video link where he told Judge Broderick he was, “very sorry”.
The court was told that Strong takes five different types of medication daily which act as mood stabilisers, including diazepam.
Defence barrister, Plunkett Nugent explained that his client had not been able to take his medication on the day of the incident and has no recollection of what happened in court.
“He is left in no doubt the seriousness he finds himself in,” he added.
Judge Broderick asked Stronge if he had anything to say to him, to which the defendant replied: “Your Worship, I can only apologise.
“I have no recollection of the event. That’s all I can do, I’m very sorry, I can only apologise.”
Judge Broderick said he accepted Stronge’s apology and added: “I will not take any further action but if you repeat that behaviour I will be dealing with it very differently.”
The accused appeared in custody in the dock of the court last Thursday after police were tipped off by staff at Clogher Post Office on Wednesday about a suspicious package addressed to ‘GG Stronge’ on the Camgart Road.
Containing 3,000 10mg diazepam tablets, a variety not available in the UK, the find resulted in Stronge being charged with attempting to possess and attempting to supply class C drugs. Cannabis was subsequently found during searches of Stronge’s property, prompting an additional charge for possessing class B drugs.
Three mobile phones and a number of small clear plastic bags were also seized.
During Thursday’s hearing, a female PSNI constable told the court that she believed that she could connect the Clabby resident to all three charges.
She revealed that Stronge was linked to ongoing investigations into the discovery of 3,200 diazepam tablets uncovered in two separate finds earlier this year.
She said when he was interviewed as part of the investigation on June 28, Stronge boasted that he earned £1,000 per week from dealing drugs and that police had not found the class A drugs during searches of his property.
Judge Broderick expressed surprise that bail could have been granted after such an admission.
It also emerged that 10mg diazepam tablets were discovered by hospital staff in the room of Graeme Stronge’s seriously ill brother Glen Graham Stronge, who is being treated in hospital after an apparent drug overdose several months ago.
The police constable told the court that staff had notified the PSNI after finding the diazepam tablets on a number of occasions.
Opposing Stronge’s bail application, the constable said despite being banned from using a mobile phone, three were found in Stronge’s house last week, including one in his pocket and another which had been turned on inside. A third device was broken.
Mr Nugent said his client had no previous drug convictions.
He said the 33-year-old believed someone else was ordering drugs to his address. He said if that was the case, there was little his client could do to stop it.
Mr Nugent also stated that the accused had pointed police to the location of the cannabis.
Describing the charges as “serious”, Judge Broderick denied bail, pointing to Stronge’s ‘admissions’ in June, the possession of the phones in breach of his bail conditions and his risk of reoffending.
As the defendant was remanded into custody, he shouted at the police constable still in the stand, calling her a “lying bitch”, adding “I’ll see you later.”
The outbursts continued as Stronge was led past Judge Broderick. The prisoner exclaimed, “See you judge, I’ll f*****g get you! You f*****g fenian b*****d you!”
Becoming increasingly violent, Prison Service staff moved quickly to secure the 33-year-old.
The loud altercation continued out of sight of the court as Stronge continued to roar sectarian abuse at the judge.
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