Drunken day-tripper fined for attacking officers
A man who lost all his money on a horse racing day-trip to Scotland has been fined £1,000 for drunken attacks on police after arriving back in Belfast.
Ronald Graham, 20, head-butted and hit out at officers who were called to the Stena Terminal in the city on 19 June.
He admitted three counts of assault on police, disorderly behaviour and resisting police during the incident.
The court heard he had earlier been handcuffed and put in a private room on the ferry by security staff.
Prosecutors said Graham, of Percy Street in Belfast's Shankill area, became abusive and hit out at officers escorting him off the ship.
Defence solicitor Billy McNulty told the Belfast Magistrates Court Graham had been with 15 other family members on a day trip to Ayr racecourse and had been drinking from early in the morning.
"He had an argument with a family friend. He was not annoying any of the other passengers," Mr McNulty said.
"But as a result of having this argument with a family friend and staggering around the ship security people decided for his own safety to take him away to one side."
The lawyer added: "He had lost all his money at the races that day and I expect it's going to cost him even further."
District Judge Fiona Bagnall described the incident as a "fairly prolonged episode".
She gave him a 12 months conditional discharge for the resisting police offence, but imposed £250 fines for each of the assaults and the disorderly behaviour.