Paul Rankin, Hillview Park, Castlederg, pleaded guilty at Strabane Magistrate’s Court yesterday to resisting arrest on the 5th April this year in the Forge Bar.

The court heard that police had received a call to attend a disturbance at the Castlederg bar and on their arrival Rankin became aggressive towards officers and had to be cautioned and handcuffed.

Rankin’s solicitor said that the defendant’s girlfriend had been involved in an incident with another male earlier in the evening and Rankin had sustained an injury to his hand.“When the police officers arrived in the bar my client was in the process of leaving the premises to go to the hospital with his girlfriend as he had sustained an injury to his hand.Police stopped him from leaving and he became angry, his aggression was intensified when police placed him in handcuffs, which irritated his hand injury further.

“However, when officers realized my client was in pain they removed the handcuffs and he calmed down. Officers later admitted that Rankin had been sober at the time of his arrest,” he said.

RM Liam McNally said that this was a “particularly bad case” of resisting arrest and in light of his previous record he would impose a two month custodial sentence which would be suspended for two years and he would be ordered to pay a fine of £200,” he said.