Peace bond for man who spat at a pub doorman

A Roscommon man who spat at a pub doorman hours before being arrested for public intoxication has been placed on a 12-month peace bond.

Noel Lawlor (62), of Caddlebrook, Ballinagare, Castlerea, Co Roscommon, appeared before Judge Bernadette Owens at Athlone District Court, where it was heard he was engaging well with counselling services.

He was charged with the section 2 assault of a man at Peddler Mac’s on Church Street, Athlone, on February 14 of last year, as well as public intoxication at the Radisson Blu Hotel on Northgate Street later that same night.

The court heard how, just after midnight on February 15, he was arrested at the Radisson Blu for public intoxication and that Gardaí then received a report that he had spat at and elbowed a man earlier in the night at Peddler Mac’s.

The court heard that Mr Lawlor has 45 previous convictions, including 17 for public intoxication, and 13 for behaving in a threatening, abusive or insulting manner. Among the remainder of those were convictions for failure to comply, dangerous driving, criminal damage, road traffic offences and failure to produce a blood or breath sample when requested.

Solicitor Mark Cooney said that his client was “well known to the court” and that he has spent some time in custody on other public order matters.

He initially indicated a not guilty plea to the assault because he has no recollection of it happening but “his previous convictions clearly indicate a very serious alcohol issue”.

“He was in and out of custody, but primarily in custody for a large part of 2025,” said Mr Cooney.

“He was asked to leave, the injured party was the door man and was trying to remove him. He was arrested later that same night for public order. He has spent some time in custody on this matter.”

Mr Lawlor presented well in court, Mr Cooney said, and “tells me he hasn’t been drinking” and has no new charges before the court.

“If you’d asked him that this time last year, you’d have a long list,” he said.

Addressing the court himself, Mr Lawlor said he has been engaging with Roscommon Mental Health Services and “this is my third time on detox; I go twice a week”.

Judge Owens accepted that Mr Lawlor was engaging well, not just with services, but with the court.

“Certainly, the Mr Lawlor who appears here today is a lot different than he would’ve been previously. I’m glad to see that and glad to hear he’s engaging with services. He needs to continue with that,” she said, noting that psychiatric reports showed that alcohol was having “a detrimental effect” on him.

She gave credit for a plea of guilt and the fact he had already spent three months in custody on these charges and proceeded to enter him into a peace bond for 12 months on an own bond of €200.

Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme