Judge gives chance to addict who waved syringes at police
A heroin addict who brandished syringes at police trying to arrest him has been given a three-month suspended prison sentence.
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.