College lecturer who denied running away from gardai has charges dismissed

Niall Treanor (29), Rathduff, Hackballscross, Dundalk, denied running away from a garda in the early hours of the morning. He testified that it was his intention to run home after a night out.

He was accused of being intoxicated in public, using or engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour or words and resisting a garda in the execution of her duty in Pearse Park, Dundalk, on 17 April last.

Garda Eimear Gallagher gave evidence that at 3.20am while on mobile patrol driving along Park Street, she saw a man stumbling. He began kicking a bin out in front of traffic.

This person refused to speak to gardaí, so she exited the vehicle. The man ran towards McEntee Avenue.

He jumped a wall at Priory Villas into the Friary School, and she lost sight of him, Gda Gallagher continued.

He was subsequently apprehended and arrested in Pearse Park on a grass area beside a footpath at approximately 3.20am. He told officers to ‘f***’ off.

In reply to solicitor Niall Breen, Gda Gallagher said the arrest didn’t take place in the Friary field.

Niall Treanor told the court that he worked as a lecturer in DkIT.

On this occasion he left Brubaker’s and was walking on Park Street when he was pushed, and he knocked a bin over.

He walked down Park Street and turned left for Priory Villas, then climbed across a gate at the Friary field.

The defendant said he was running through the field when he noticed someone following. He lay on the ground with his hands on his head.

He continued that the garda said to him ‘stop resisting’.

‘She walked me up to a locked gate. She told me to stand on her knee to climb over it. I argued with her about it a bit.’

In response to Judge McKiernan, Mr Treanor said he thought it would be quicker to run home than get a taxi.

The witness said the guard asked him why he was running, and he told her why.

He alleged Gda Gallagher said he would be charged with resisting arrest ‘and whatever else we can come up with’.

Cross-examined by court presenter Sgt Jimmy McGovern, Niall Treanor said he was walking towards Oscar’s Bar with three friends. They were getting a taxi, but he told them he was walking home.

He didn’t know why the guard thought he was running away from her.

It was 4kms to where he lived in Ballinfull and there was a footpath nearly the whole way.

He thought it was safer to go through the football field. He was going to run all the way home.

Judge McKiernan remarked, ‘I’m not going to comment on this nonsense.

‘There is something a bit bizarre about all this. There was some sort of misunderstanding.’

The judge continued she had a doubt about the public order element of it.

Judge McKiernan told Gda Gallagher that she was not doubting her at all.

There was some sort of misunderstanding.

The charges were dismissed.