Judge gives chance to addict who waved syringes at police

Officers had to restrain Connor Haughey with CS spray during the encounter at his home in west Belfast on August 30, 2016, a judge was told.

The 27-year-old, with a current address at HMP Maghaberry, admitted possessing Class A, B and C drugs, along with resisting police and assaulting a PSNI constable.

“He approached police with two syringes, and CS spray was discharged to incapacitate him,” a prosecution lawyer said.

Searches then led to the recovery of heroin, cannabis and diazepam.

Haughey was then taken to the Mater Hospital, spitting on a police officer’s arm en route.

Defence counsel Michael Boyd described it as a “deeply unedifying episode” for which his client is genuinely sorry. “His memory is very poor to say the least,” the barrister said.

“It was the behaviour of a young man in the throes of a heavy addiction to drugs, prescription and non-prescription, Class A, B and C.”

Mr Boyd told the court Haughey comes from a respectable family in the west of the city, and is now working in custody to overcome his dependency.

Deputy District Judge Trevor Browne said he would give Haughey a chance and suspended his three-month sentence for 18 months. “He’s got himself in a very dark hole, but he’s trying to climb out of it,” he said.