A Portadown man who swung a punch at a staff member at a bar in the town has been ordered to complete 100 hours of community service.
Matthew Dilworth, of Gilford Road, had to be pinned to the ground by bouncers before he was taken away by police.
The 36-year-old pleaded guilty at Craigavon Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday to disorderly behaviour and assault on police.
The incident occurred at around 12.45am on February 11, when the defendant was asked to leave by staff at Bar 2, in Portadown.
Dilworth refused to do so and resisted as he was removed.
CCTV footage showed the defendant react aggressively as he was taken to the pavement outside.
It then shows the defendant swing at one of the members of staff, at which point he was restrained on the ground by door staff.
Police arrived to remove Dilworth and as they did so he began shouting at them.
Whilst in the police vehicle the defendant continued to shout with officers having to stop the car for him to be restrained.
He continued to struggle, kicking out and swearing at officers as they attempted to keep him under control.
Defence counsel said Dilworth had been shown the CCTV and had been “humiliated”.
He went on to say the defendant was a quantity surveyor and this was a case of him being very different when sober.
It was heard on the day in question that Dilworth had been out to watch a rugby match with his partner.
District Judge Bernie Kelly questioned this saying the match was long finished by the time of this offence.
The defence stated this was true and if the defendant had stopped drinking after the match had ended this incident may not have happened.
He added that Dilworth accepted he had an alcohol problem but was ranked as having a low risk of reoffending by probation.
Defence counsel finished by saying this was an “isolated incident” with the defendant’s only previous incident of note dating back some five years.
Judge Kelly commented this was “reprehensible behaviour” as she sentenced him to complete 100 hours of community service.
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