County Roscommon farmer gets suspended sentence over threats and abuse of Taoiseach at Ploughing Championships

A County Roscommon farmer who allegedly called Taoiseach Micheál Martin “a gobshite” and “a traitor” at the National Ploughing Championships has received a suspended six-week custodial sentence for threatening and abusive behaviour.

Vincent Harrington (60), Cloonmacmullan, Kingsland, Boyle, appeared at Tullamore District Court before Judge Andrew Gubbins on Tuesday where he was charged with engaging in threatening and abusive behaviour which provoked a breach of the peace at the championships at Screggan, Co Offaly on September 15th last.

Judge Gubbins said that “in terms of seriousness” the offending was “at the higher end” and that such behaviour “can’t be tolerated” particularly where members of the public, including women and children, were present and which also caused Mr Martin to “take a step back”.

Judge Gubbins also accepted the State’s evidence that Mr Harrington called gardaí “traitors” and that “a red mist descended” on him.

Judge Gubbins said that Mr Harrington was “a passionate man” who was looking to have a discussion with Mr Martin but that he did it in a manner that he should not have done.

Judge Gubbins imposed a six-week sentence suspended for two years on condition that Mr Harrington keep the peace and be of good behaviour.

After Mr Harrington signed his own bond, following his conviction, he asked Judge Gubbins if he could say a prayer for the gardaí in court.

Judge Gubbins replied, “Mr Harrington we are in the middle of a courtroom, if you want to say a prayer you can go to a church” as Mr Harrington completed his prayer.

Detective Garda Peter MacGuire, a member of the Special Detective Unit, told the court that at about 11.50 a.m. about 15 to 20 minutes after Mr Martin began his “meet-and-greet” with members of the public at Screggan, he became aware of someone, whom he later found out to be Mr Harrington, “shouting and roaring”.

Det Garda MacGuire said Mr Harrington approached in an “aggressive and threatening” manner and observed him calling Mr Martin “a gobshite”.

Det Garda MacGuire said he raised his right hand as “a soft barrier” between Mr Harrington and Mr Martin.

Det Garda MacGuire said he pushed the accused back who told him not to put “his f**king hand on him” and asked him who he was, with Det Garda MacGuire telling him he was a member of the Garda.

Det Garda MacGuire said that Mr Martin had between 1,500 to 2,000 interactions with the public that day, some of which involved “curt exchanges” but there was only one interaction where gardaí had to intervene.

Detective Garda Padraig Ryan said Mr Harrington was abusive towards Mr Martin, calling him “a gobshite” and “a traitor”, and blaming him for the state of the economy.

Det Garda Ryan said he arrested Mr Harrington and with the assistance of Detective Garda Barry McPaul and two other gardaí handcuffed the accused.

Det Garda Ryan said Mr Harrington was “aggressive” towards the gardaí and made a number of attempts to free himself from custody and return to the Irish Farmers’ Association tent and that there was “spittle”.

Det Garda Ryan said that after Mr Harrington was charged in Tullamore Garda station he replied that he was “sorry”.

Mr Harrington denied on Tuesday that “a red mist descended” upon him but said “they [the gardaí] lost it”.

Mr Harrington also denied raising his voice to Mr Martin or calling him a gobshite or a traitor but that he wanted to ask him, given the banning of the importation of Brazilian beef into Europe, was he going to ask the chairman of Bord Bia Larry Murrin to resign.