Polish man who ‘caused mayhem’ at Dublin Airport has jail term halved
A Polish man who “caused mayhem” at Dublin Airport and threatened the garda who arrested him has had his jail term halved on appeal.
Robert Filipuk (44) threatened to “kick the f**k” out of the garda while he was being transported away from the airport.
Filipuk, with an address in Newry, Co Down was convicted in the District Court of obstructing a garda, intoxication in a public place and using threatening or abusive words or behaviour. He was given a five-month jail sentence with one month suspended, to be served consecutive to a sentence from the Circuit Court.
He later lodged an appeal against the severity of District Court sentence.
A garda told the District Court Appeals court that Filipuk was due to board a flight and had called another passenger a “f***ing idiot”. He said that Filipuk was drunk and resisted the arresting gardai.
The garda said that while transporting Filipuk, the appellant threatened him several times, saying that he would remember the garda, remember his face and that he would come to get him.
He said that Filipuk threatened to fight him and “kick the f**k out of him”. He said that he also called him a Polish slur.
Filipuk is currently serving a sentence from the Circuit Court, with a release date in 2027.
Defence counsel for Filipuk, Caroline O’Connell BL, said her client instructed that he is due to be deported back to Poland and is anxious to return.
She said that he was offering an apology for his behaviour and that his actions in the airport were “disgraceful”.
Judge Ronan Munro said that the job of the gardai is tough enough and that they don’t need threats or Filipuk keeping up the “tough man act”.
Ms O’Connell said that her client has been living in Ireland for about 20 years and that he has an otherwise good record.
Judge Munro said that Filipuk was “causing mayhem at the gate” and that he regarded threatening gardai as a “very grave offence”.
However, he decided to reduce Filipuk’s sentence to two months, keeping it consecutive to his current jail term.
Funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme
