Men sentenced for ‘disgraceful incident’ at Strabane funeral

A 17-year-old youth who also appeared in court charged with possessing an axe on February 27 was released on bail until later this month.

District Judge Barney McElholm said there could have been a ‘blood bath’ at the funeral if it wasn’t for the ‘prompt actions of police’.

John Anthony Doherty, (32), of Riverside Caravan Park, Queensbury, Wales, pleaded guilty to possessing a Stanley knife, possessing cocaine, driving without insurance and having no L plates on February 27.

Derry Magistrate’s Court heard that police were on duty at a funeral in Strabane due to public order concerns and intelligence they had received.

They stopped a number of vehicles, including one driven by Doherty and found the defendant in possession of a Stanley knife. He also had a small quantity of cocaine and was driving without insurance and L plates.

During police interview, the 32-year-old claimed he had the knife to repair fences and had forgotten it was there.

Defence solicitor Keith Kyle said his client lived in Wales and was attending the funeral as he had been in the company of the deceased recently. He said it was his first time in this jurisdiction and he had no record here.

District Judge Barney McElholm said this was ‘a disgraceful incident’ and said as far as he knew one group was attending the funeral and were attacked by another.

He said it appeared all the items seized by police were brand new and bought for the event and if it was not for the ‘prompt action of the police there could have been a blood bath.’

Doherty was sentenced to five months suspended for three years, fined £425 and disqualified from driving for 12 months.

A co-accused, 22-year-old Gerry Stokes, of Kearney Villas, Gulladuff, admitted possessing a meat cleaver in Main Street, Strabane.

The court heard that the defendant was seen in the car park of the church discarding a meat cleaver under a parked vehicle. The defendant told police he had taken the weapon off another person, who he refused to name, and that he was getting rid of it in case someone got hurt.

A defence solicitor said his client had been at the funeral and heard the commotion outside, which he felt was disrespectful. He added that Stokes went outside, saw someone with the weapon and took it off him. The solicitor said there was no suggestion Stokes was brandishing the weapon or anything like that.

The judge said that ‘it was plausible’ what Stokes was claiming but it was clear that ‘some people came armed to do serious harm to others.’

Stokes was sentenced to three months suspended for 12 months.

The third defendant had been due to attend the same funeral but was arrested before he could. Thomas Scully, (18,) from Donegal Road, Ballybofey, admitted disorderly behaviour in Altnagelvin Hospital, possessing a knife and possessing a screwdriver in the early hours of February 27.

The court heard police in Strabane were tasked to locate a man having a psychotic incident in the early hour of the morning. They arrested Scully and took him to Altnagelvin, where he was abusive to staff and police. He was searched and a screwdriver and a knife was found in his possession.

The 18-year-old told police the screwdriver was for repairing kitchen cabinets, while the knife just happened to be in the pocket of a jacket he had borrowed. Scully was sentenced to three months in prison suspended for two years.