Suspended jail term for man who assaulted gardai

AN 18-MONTH prison sentence hangs over Craig Corcoran with addresses at 5A Clonattin, Gorey and 22 Harbour Court, Courtown but now living in Lucan.

The 23-year-old pleaded guilty at Gorey District Court to a long list of crimes which included assaults on gardaí as well as motoring and theft offences.

Judge Gerard Haughton was persuaded to suspend the jail term after reading a glowing probation report on the young man and coming to the conclusion that Corcoran had sorted himself out.

The court was reminded how the defendant stood charged with dangerous driving after speeding through Courtown on the incorrect side of the road, taking a roundabout the wrong way, in May of last year.

Also recapped was and incident when gardaí arrived at a house in the An Ban estate in Febru- ary of 2014 to investigate a report of anti-social behaviour.

They were confronted by Corcoran who kicked Garda Eamonn Cahill in the face while he was on the ground.

He then grabbed Garda Darren Coleman by the throat, holding a beer bottle over his head and spitting into the garda’s eyes and mouth.

Corcoran’s father was in court as the defence barrister looked for leniency, stating that her client was now free of drugs and residing in Lucan with his parents.

The father of a two-year-old child, he was applying for jobs and was teaching youngsters to play football, she added.

The judge agreed that the defendant was a different person to the one who originally appeared before the court.

He suspended the 18 month jail term and banned Corcoran from driving for seven years.