Man spat at paramedic helping him

A MAN who spat at a paramedic tasked with saving him from a self-inflicted wound to the neck and who spat at two security staff at University Hospital Kerry on his arrival there a short while later was remanded in custody for a month from Listowel District Court on Thursday.

Jamie Power, 199 Shanakill, Tralee, pleaded guilty to three charges of assault, four charges of theft as well as criminal damage and firearms offences before Judge David Waters.

Sergeant Kieran O’Connell told the court that at 3.20am on April 11 last the occupant of a house in Shanakill looked out her window to see Mr Power standing outside roaring abuse at her and her family, calling them ‘feckin rats’ while hitting the back of her car. When she got up at 5am she noticed a rear light had been smashed.

Sgt O’Connell explained that the firearms offence arose from an incident later that day when the woman’s husband had asked Mr Power if he was going to repair the damage. Mr Power went to his own home, returning with what looked like a baton, and threatened the man and his family, warning he would burn their house down.

On April 27, the ambulance service was called to Mr Power’s home after he inflicted wounds on his neck. “Shane Buckley was one of the paramedics on hand...He [Mr Power] was quite agitated, and he lunged for Mr Buckley and spat in his face,” Sgt O’Connell explained.

Presenting at hospital shortly afterwards, Mr Power spat into the faces of security men Ron Doody and Anthony Hobbs. Mr Power also pleaded guilty to theft of razorblades at O’Connell’s Pharmacy in St Brendan’s Park on May 21 last; theft of two watches at Michael Guineys on June 17 last; theft of clothing at Tesco in Manor West, Tralee, on September 29 last and the theft of two razors at Garvey’s Supervalu, Tralee, on September 27. Solicitor Pádraig O’Connell said his client indicated his ‘regret and remorse’ at the outset, setting out that he suffers from ADHD and ‘very debilitating depression’ and is taking a ‘huge range of medication’.

Mr Power was remanded in custody to appear before Tralee District Court on November 15 next and was given the opportunity to engage with the Probabtion Services before then.