Letterkenny Courthouse.
A wheelchair user attacked a Garda after he was stopped for drink-driving in Co Donegal, a court has heard.
Thomas Scarlett (34), of Ballinagard Crescent, Culmore, Derry, punched a Garda in the stomach and then threw himself out of his wheelchair twice after being taken to Letterkenny Garda station.
Gardai Elaine Gordon and and Paul McGee told Letterkenny Court they were tipped off that Scarlett had been drinking in the Clanree Hotel in Letterkenny before driving off.
They stopped Scarlett in his specially-adapted car at Drumbarnett Lower, Manorcunningham on 11 September, 2012.
Garda Gordon said she immediately smelled alcohol from Scarlett who became very abusive.
He began shouting obscenities at the officers and then punched Garda Gordon in the stomach when he was being helped out of his car.
He then refused to get out of the Garda patrol car when taken to Letterkenny Garda Station and acknowledge the member in charge.
When he was taken into the station he threw him out of his wheelchair twice and then complained of a sore back.
Scarlett was taken to Letterkenny General Hospital but he refused to be treated.
He was then taken back to Letterkenny Garda Station but was abusive to ambulance personnel on the way back.
He eventually undertook a breath test which produced a reading of 52 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath.
Judge Paul Kelly asked was Scarlett going to be permanently in a wheelchair and he was told he was after suffering injuries in a motorcycle accident.
Scarlett was fined €250 and disqualified from driving for two years.
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