Drunken Scotsman who travelled to Belfast for Feile an Phobail festival dressed in yellow neon top and shorts tried to 'get at' women in taxi
A Scotsman who tried to get at female taxi passengers and punched in a window while “drunk out of his mind” in Belfast city centre has avoided immediate custody.
Sean Murray, 29, left one of the victims with a cut leg after attacking the cab on his arrival to attend the Feile an Phobail festival.
The personal trainer was handed a six-month suspended sentence for what his own lawyer described as a “terrifying” incident.
Murray, of Old Shettleston Road in Glasgow, pleaded guilty to criminal damage, disorderly behaviour, three common assaults and resisting police.
Belfast Magistrates’ Court heard two women were targeted on August 10 while they were in a taxi parked outside the Leonardo Hotel on Great Victoria Street.
Murray, who was unknown to them and dressed in a neon yellow top and shorts, then opened the front passenger door and got into the car as well.
“He leaned across into the rear of the vehicle to try and get at the two female passengers in the back,” a Crown lawyer said.
With both women fearing they were about to be assaulted, the taxi driver put out an arm to block him. Murray grabbed the driver before exiting the vehicle and punching through a rear window.
“The glass cut the leg of one of the passengers,” the prosecutor disclosed.
Murray left the scene and walked up towards the Europa Hotel, where security staff detained him until police arrived. During a struggle with officers he shouted and swore before limb restraints were applied to prevent him kicking out.
In interviews he told police that he had little memory but made admissions after seeing footage of the incident.
Defence counsel Michael Boyd accepted: “This was a terrifying incident for the unfortunate victims. Mr Murray was drunk out of his mind by his own admission.”
The court heard he had travelled to Belfast for the Feile an Phobail festival, but was already extremely intoxicated when he arrived that morning.
Mr Boyd said his client had managed to stay off alcohol for 18 months while working as a personal trainer. “He then behaved in this outrageous way, getting into the taxi and terrifying everyone,” the barrister added.
Murray was sentenced to six months custody, suspended for two years, and ordered to pay £535 compensation for damaging the taxi.
District Judge Steven Keown warned: “If he comes back here and does anything like this again he will be going into prison for upwards of twelve months