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Sleeping house guest became ‘aggressive’ after being shocked by garda raid

James Delaney refused to stop his aggressive behaviour and was arrested for obstructing in the incident.

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A house guest who was sleeping on the couch when gardaí carried out a drugs raid got a “shock” and began recording and shouting at the officers, a court has heard.

James Delaney refused to stop his aggressive behaviour and was arrested for obstructing in the incident.

Judge Patricia Cronin fined him €200 when he appeared at Dublin District Court charged with a public order offence.

Delaney (38), a roofer and father-of-five with an address at Fana Glas, Ballybane, Galway, pleaded guilty to obstructing gardaí on June 11 this year.

Dublin District Court heard gardaí went to a house at Baskin Green, Clonshaugh, in north Dublin, to carry out a drugs search and when they entered the kitchen, Delaney stood up from the couch.

He began recording the gardaí, became aggressive and was shouting at them.

The officers told him to desist but he refused and was arrested.

Delaney had come from England and was in his wife’s sister’s house on the day, his solicitor Evan Moore said.

Delaney was sleeping on the couch and the search was nothing to do with him.

However, when he was woken from his sleep, he was not expecting it and did not know what was going on, Mr Moore said.

he solicitor said this caused his client to act the way he did and he asked the judge for leniency.

“I appreciate what was said, that he had a shock to be woken from his sleep, but he should have desisted when he was told,” Judge Cronin told the court.

She gave Delaney six months to pay the fine.