‘After drinking brandy bottle in an hour, you’re lucky to be alive’

AN “INTELLIGENT” Sligo man has been told at the district court that he “was lucky to be alive” after he told the court that he had drank a full bottle of brandy in the space of an hour.

Sixty-two-year-old Des McLoughlin, The Mall, pleaded guilty to being drunk and a danger to himself and others and using threatening and abusive behaviour at the Mall on December 1, 2020.

Sergeant Derek Butler told the court the defendant stepped out of an ambulance and swung punches at paramedics and had to be put face down on the ground due to his level of aggression.

Defence solicitor Tom MacSharry said the court “knew the defendant well.”

The defendant had apologised to the paramedics and the gardaí.

The defendant, who appeared on a bench warrant, told the court that some “smart ass” had made a prank call saying that the defendant’s dog Jessie, which he “used in my work”, had been knocked down on the bridge in the town and had two broken legs.

The defendant said he “panicked” and went to Kilgallen’s off licence, bought a bottle of brandy and drank it within the hour. He said he got paranoid and that “was not the real me”. The defendant, who is an ex-DJ, had been sober for five years before this relapse and was now working with Mr Melville which had been of great benefit to him.

“If a man or woman forgets the past, they are likely to repeat their mistakes,” the defendant told the court.

He said: “The past is like a mirror in a car and if you keep staring at it you will crash so it is a question of balance between the two.”

The defendant said he was a consultant therapist and had worked in a radio station. He said he wanted to pass on his sincere apologies to the medical staff and the gardaí. Defence solicitor Tom MacSharry asked the court to “be as lenient as possible.”

The court heard there were previous convictions for public order matters, the most of which were well in the past, the last coming in March 2018.

Judge Kevin KIlrane said the defendant was an intelligent man to hear him speak but there are consequences for anyone who takes medication and then drinks a bottle of brandy in an hour.

“You are very lucky to be alive,” the judge said.

The judge fined the defendant €200 on the charge of being drunk and a danger to himself and others and the charge of using threatening and abusive behaviour was struck out.