Exposed himself and urinated in ambulance

Gary Albert Steven Byrne, whose address was given as Linen Court, Linenhall Street, Armagh, appeared last Friday at Craigavon Magistrates Court via videolink from Maghaberry prison.

He admitted criminal damage to an ambulance on November 11 last year, common assault and intentionally exposing his genitals.

The court heard that at 4pm police received a report of a drunken man outside the Railway Bar in Lurgan.

They found Byrne who was highly intoxicated and totally incoherent.

Police called an ambulance and en route to the hospital he scratched a nurse. The prosecutor alleged that the defendant had hepatitis C.

Byrne then called the nurse foul and profane names before exposing his penis to her and urinating all about the ambulance.

The vehicle was rendered useless for that night because it needed cleaning.

Defence barrister Joel Lindsay said Byrne knew that he was going to be staying in custody for some time and that he meant no harm.

District Judge, Mrs Bernie Kelly, said he did mean harm when he knew he had this medical condition which can affect another human being.

Mr Lindsay said there was no breaking of skin.

Judge Kelly: “Urine’s a bodily fluid.”

Mr Lindsay added that Byrne can only put his best foot forward and apologise to the ambulance personnel.

On the videolink Byrne insisted that he didn’t have hepatitis C, no disease and no medical condition.

Judge Kelly told him these were serious charges and sentenced him to three months in jail on each charge with the terms to run concurrently.