Manwassuffering frompsychosis

A 30-year-old who admitted a number of offences, including walking on the motorway and hitting two Gardai who were taking him out of the cells at Dundalk Garda station has been given a suspended sentence after the judge heard he had been suffering from psychosis at the time of the incidents.

Mantas Bielskis, 39 Glenwood, Dublin Road, admitted charges arising out of the incidents, including walking on the motorway near Dundalk on February 28.

Gardai came across him on the motorway and he refused to get off it, telling them he was walking to Dublin. He was arrested and initially refused to give his name and address.

He was taken to the station and the following morning, Bielskis was being taken from the cells by two Gardai when he started hitting them.

He struck one Garda on the cheek and hand, and hit an- other officer twice in the face. Neither required medical treatment for their injuries.

And shortly after he was released following these incidents, Gardai were called on again to deal with him after he went to a house in Muirhevanmor, breaking windows to get in.

Gardai found him sitting on the sofa and he told them he wanted to see his child when he was asked why he smashed windows.

Barrister Irene Sands said her client, who has a previous conviction for possession of a firearm and ammunition from 2014, as well as attempted robbery, assault and public order convictions from 2013, ‘was not trying to hide behind his bad record’, but rather he had ‘a number of difficulties at the time of these offences’.

Ms Sands said Bielskis, who is supported by his parents, had been suffering from a ‘psychotic episode’ and he subsequently spent a long time on remand.

She asked Judge Flann Brennan to ‘ take into account the context’ of the offences and added her client, who is a Lithuanian living in Ireland for a number of years, ‘is now in a much better position overall’.

Ms Sands added Bielskis had previously been remanded to the Central Mental Hospital, but there was no bed available for him and he received treatment at St Bridget’s Ardee and was also an outpatient there.

Judge Brennan imposed sentences totalling 12 months, but suspended them for a year. He told Bielskis: ‘ You will have to continue with your treatment.

‘It’s inevitable you will get into trouble if you don’t and you will serve these sentences’.