A Claddagh man was jailed for five months this week for obstructing a Garda during a routine drugs search.

Jason Shaughnessy (36), 5 Claddagh Place, Galway, pleaded guilty at Galway District Court to obstructing Garda Derek Cummins at Circular Road, Rahoon, Galway, on 7 May last year. He also pleaded guilty to breaching the peace at Claddagh Quay a month later when he became abusive and insulting towards Garda Orla Keenan when she approached him.

Inspector Sean Glynn said that when Shaughnessy was stopped and searched at Circular Road he discarded a small piece of tinfoil, which contained a substance.

The inspector withdrew a charge relating to the possession of an illegal substance against Shaughnessy when he entered a plea to the obstruction charge.

Inspector Glynn said that when Garda Keenan approached the accused during the second incident at Claddagh Quay he became very aggressive and abusive towards her.

Defence solicitor, Valerie Corcoran reminded Judge Mary Fahy she had sentenced her client to 18 months in prison last April for drugs related offences and, while he had appealed that sentence to the Circuit Criminal Court, he knew he would be serving a long sentence when he appears before that court on the next District Court Appeal day, which is 7 October.

Ms Corcoran said her client was trying to get on a drug rehabilitation programme prior to his Circuit Court appearance so that he could detox before going into prison.

Judge Fahy sentenced Shaughnessy to five months in prison for obstructing Garda Cummins and she imposed a concurrent two-month sentence on him for breaching the peace. Leave to appeal the sentences was granted on Shaughnessy's own surety of €1,000 and an independent surety of €2,000, half of both to be lodged in cash.

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