New Ross man jailed as judge brands behaviour outrageous

A well-known long-time resident of New Ross was sent to prison for six months after repeated confrontations with local gardaí.

Modasiru Colin Bello (47) was also convicted of criminal damage committed when he returned on several occasions to the apartment where he used to live.

And Judge Gerard Haughton branded his behaviour outrageous as the District Court sitting in Wexford reviewed several threatening incidents involving women.

In one instance his actions were racist, in the judge’s opinion, as the defendant turned on a woman who was minding her own business in the queue at the post office.

When the case was first called Judge Gerard Haughton reminded Bello that it had been put back for a fortnight to allow him retain a solicitor, who must be on the panel for Wexford Court.

The defendant indicated that he wished a lawyer from South Africa to handle the case but was told that he/she was not on the panel.

Bello was warned that the court was considering imprisonment.

‘I am not going to take any nonsensical questions from you,’ declared the 47-year-old defendant defiantly.

The matter was put back until after lunch.

When the case was re-called, the accused was once more offered the opportunity to select a solicitor from the District Court panel

Bello responded that he had contacted the High Court and said his case was set for judicial review.

This did not impress the man on the bench who pointed out that the High Court could not review a decision which had not yet been made.

That decision moved closer as judge and defendant clashed over the issue of Bello’s past record.

The defendant stated that he had no previous convictions but the judge had come to court with evidence which proved otherwise.

Documents showed that a suspended three-month sentence was handed down in 2008 for threatening/abusive behaviour.

He was also fined during the same year on conviction for assault, with a second count of threatening/abusive behaviour taken into consideration.

These convictions were affirmed on appeal in 2009.

‘I have the Circuit Court orders in front of me,’ said Judge Haughton. ‘You have been convicted.’

Coming more up to date, the court reviewed the series of offences down for decision, dating back to 2014 and 2015.

The first incident was logged in September of 2014 when Garda Pat Kelly found the accused shouting abuse at him in Schoolhouse Lane.

Bello’s address was given in court paperwork as 40 Bellville, New Ross, though it was stated at a previous sitting that he had been excluded from there.

However, much of the action centred on a previous residence, an apartment in the Waterside complex where he was no longer welcome.

In November of 2014 he was discovered there with a hacksaw attempting to break a padlock.

He returned shortly afterwards, again attempting to break a lock.

And the court noted that he was on bail when he was arrested there once more on November 29 this time with a hammer and chisel.

The preoccupation with the Waterside extended to April of 2015 when he was guilty of assaulting a neighbour by attempting to enter the other man’s apartment

The garda most on the receiving end of Bello’s misbehaviour was Sergeant PJ Griffin who twice tried to usher the offender from the barracks in New Ross when he arrived roaring and shouting.

On one occasion, the sergeant was grabbed by the throat and, on a second, he was punched in the shoulder.

Members of the public were on the receiving end too of Bello’s abuse.

A lady in the post office was confronted by him shouting into her face at close range about deporting South Africans.

Another incident occurred on Priory Street where he threatened a council housing official that she would be hit in the face and then cut up into pieces.

Colin Bello showed no sign of apologising for what happened. At one point in the discussion about legal representation he declared ‘you must be joking’.

He later declared: ‘I am not going to take any nonsense,’ and also said: ‘ I am not going to allow any framing.’

Asked about his personal circumstances, he said he was married but that his children had not seen him for the past three years.

He said he was drawing €188 weekly in social welfare and then attempted to introduce section 52 of the Offences Against the State Act into consideration.

On previous occasions, Bello cited his legal qualifications.

Judge Haughton was not detained by any attempt to raise the Offences Against the State Act, proceeding to sentencing under longer standing laws.

For criminal damage to the Waterside complex, six months imprisonment; for the first assault on Sergeant Griffin, three months; for his threats to housing officials, three months; for the second assault on the sergeant, six months.

Other offences were marked ‘ taken into consideration’.

‘You are in custody now,’ judge told defendant as nine gardaí rose to accompany him out of the courtroom and arranged his transport to Midlands Prison in Portlaoise.