Hear the one about the Ryanair pilot who was arrested twice for being drunk and bit a garda

Hear the one about the Ryanair pilot who was arrested twice for being drunk and bit a garda
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A DRUNKEN Ryanair pilot tried to bite a garda when he went berserk at a city station after being arrested for hurling a traffic bollard into the street.

Patrick Taaffe (21) also threatened to "get" another officer "no matter what" after he was arrested for refusing to pay a taxi fare and making insulting remarks about the cabbie's wife.

The south Dublin pilot, who also studied law, was remanded on bail when he admitted a series of public order charges related to two drunken episodes.

Dublin District Court heard he was so drunk he did not remember the incidents.

Taaffe, of Shrewsbury Park, Ballsbridge, but currently based in Madrid, pleaded guilty to charges of violent behaviour in a garda station, public intoxication, being drunk and a danger to traffic and failing to pay a taxi fare.

Judge William Hamill adjourned the charges to find out further details of a previous public order case before making a decision.

The judge remarked that a conviction could have a "devastating" effect on the accused's career.

Detective Garda Ronan Judge told the court he was on patrol at College Green at 12.50am on October 31 last when he saw the accused throw a 6ft-long plastic red safety bollard from the footpath into the road.

When asked to remove it, he became verbally abusive and refused to give his details.

He was arrested and taken to Pearse Street Garda Station, where he attempted to bite another garda on the hand when being searched.

In the second incident, at Donnybrook Road on December 12, the accused refused to pay an €11.25 taxi fare.

Abusive

As he was being driven to a garda station, he made "abusive references to the taxi driver's wife".

He was highly intoxicated and while in custody, he became verbally abusive and aggressive.

He began trying to kick and strike out at the gardai present.

"He made several threats, he said he would get (a female garda) no matter what", the detective said.

He also called a garda sergeant a "fat c***".

The court heard a previous public order charge against him had been struck out.

The offences were "highly out of character" for the accused who was drunk on both occasions, his barrister said, adding: "He doesn't drink that often."

The defendant was contrite, had written letters of apology to the gardai and produced €20 in court for the taxi driver.

The court heard he was a newly qualified pilot.

"He spent a night in jail and this has really brought home to him the seriousness of his conduct and the implications for his career, and he understands how his career can be brought to a halt," his barrister added.

The court heard the defendant was at "the very beginning of a new career".

He had spent a year studying law in college before leaving to become a pilot.

Judge Hamill adjourned the case to a date in February