Mark Sheridan (21) of Ann Street appeared at Enniskillen Magistrates Court on Monday via video link for Maghaberry Prison, where he pleaded guilty to two counts of disorderly behaviour and one count of resisting police, relating to three separate incidents in December last year. 

On December 7, at 2.30pm, a plain clothes police officer was in the Diamond, Enniskillen when they saw Sheridan “roaring and shouting” at a female, who was sitting on a bench with a dog. Sheridan was shouting at the woman, who was his girlfriend at the time “I’m in the Diamond, I’m in the f**king Diamond.” 

He then walked over and punched the tourist information board, and at this point members of the public began leaving the immediate area, while Sheridan’s girlfriend remained sitting on the bench with her head down and face turned away. 

On December 14, an off duty police officer was standing waiting at the pedestrian crossing lights at Erneside shopping centre, heading in the direction of the town centre. 

At this point, Sheridan came running down the Wellington Road. When he saw the off duty officer he shouted “PSNI scum”, identifying the person as a serving officer to a large group of people. 

The third and final charge, resisting police, arose from an incident on December 24 last when, at approximately 3.20pm, police on patrol near the Round O in Enniskillen responded to a disturbance. When they arrived they arrested Sheridan, who began struggling violently and had to be retrained. 

Defence solicitor Ciaran Roddy said the resisting police charge arose because Sheridan felt he was being unfairly arrested, and pointed out he was never prosecuted in relation to this. Regarding to the two counts of disorderly behaviour, Mr Roddy said on December 7, Sheridan had taken his anger out on a sign, while regarding the second December incident he was aware while security important for serving members, it wasn’t actually illegal to “out” a police officer. 

Mr Roddy said Sheridan was no stranger to the court,  with a lengthy record, and said he’d had a difficult upbringing and had issues with anger.

District Judge Liam McStay said Sheridan’s record was “a catalogue of bad behaviour”, and said he felt the incidents outlined to the court on Monday would’ve increased the sentence given to Sheridan the last time he was in court. 

As such, Judge McStay increased Sheridan’s prison sentence by two months to eight months.