Manspatinfaceof watermeterworker

A BENCH warrant was issued for a man found guilty in his absence of spitting at a water meter worker.

Timmy Green (28), 23 Parc Na Sillogue Court, Enniskerry, was not present for the case last Thursday in Bray District Court.

Alan Murray told the court that he was in a digger in Parc na Sillogue on March 11, 2016.

‘A chap came out of the house and spat in my face,’ he said. ‘He emptied the contents of a plastic bottle into the machine.’ Mr Murray said he believed that there was urine in the bottle.

His colleague David Walsh said that he had received verbal abuse from the top window of the house.

‘I was used to it at that stage,’ he said. ‘I saw him come out and throw a bottle of urine into the mini digger. It was yellow liquid in a plastic bottle. The man was then walking out of the house with a woman. He spat into Alan’s face. I didn’t engage with that person. I called the gardai.’

Garda Joseph Waldron said that he took a statement from Green on May 20.

In the statement, Green said that he had just woken up. Vans drove aggressively into the estate. He said that he asked the workers ‘why did you take a job where you’re looked at as a scumbag?’ but that one of them said ‘you’re a scumbag too’.

Green said that the digger with the jackhammer was blocking the door and he shouted at them to move so he could get out. He said he picked up a stool, then put it down.

‘He raised the arm four or five feet, I thought he was going to stop, but he moved it back,’ continued the statement, which was read out in court. ‘I turned and spat because his behaviour was disgraceful. I intended to hit the ground. He got up in my face and said: “Do you know what I’m going to do to you?”’

Green said in his statement that the bottle contained club orange. He said he knew they would believe it was something else.

Barrister Shannon Biondi said that there was no proof given that the liquid contained in the bottle was urine.

Judge David Kennedy said that he would give the benefit of the doubt regarding the urine. ‘ That doesn’t excuse the other matter,’ he said. He said that he found the defendant guilty of assault, and abusive behaviour.

The bench warrant was issued for Green’s arrest ahead of mitigation and penalty, which will be heard at a later date.