Drunken man swung his belt and shouted at passers-by while 'heavily intoxicated', court told

Richard Dowling (45) also smashed his own van window in another drunken incident, before claiming to gardaí that someone else had done it.

Judge Paula Murphy applied the Probation Act.

Dowling, a salesman of Kilworth Road, Drimnagh, admitted public intoxication and threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour. Dublin District Court heard that on December 15 last year, he was found falling out into traffic on Mourne Road, Drimnagh.

Dowling was shouting aggressively at passers-by and was in the middle of the road, swinging the belt from his trousers, which was in his hand.

He continued to be abusive to gardaí after he was arrested.

Gardaí were also sent to a public order incident in Drimnagh on December 22 last year and located the accused.

He left and was later seen smashing the driver's window of a van with a beer bottle before jumping a wall into his own property.

When gardaí called to the house, he claimed someone else had smashed his van window. He was arrested but not charged with causing damage because the van was his.

Dowling had been a social drinker before starting to rely on spirits and developing an addiction, his lawyer said.

He was prescribed medication to treat his addiction but drank with it, which had an effect on him.