Westmeath man's late night disturbance was three weeks into suspended sentence

A man who launched a tirade of abuse during a drink fuelled outburst in a Mullingar housing estate last month that coincided in his arrest was just a matter of weeks into a suspended sentence, a court has heard.

Gabriel Negrea (22) Kilrush, Clonmellon, Westmeath entered guilty pleas at a sitting of Mullingar District Court in connection to a public order related incident on October 3, 2025.

Gardaí, it was revealed, were called to Mr Negrea’s home address at around midnight to deal with an “intoxicated male” who had been the source of disturbance a short time earlier.

Sgt Sheila Kenny said gardaí soon came across Mr Negrea who was being “very difficult” and acting in an abusive manner.

Following Mr Negrea’s guilty pleas, Sgt Kenny said the accused had nine previous convictions, the latest of which had only been recorded three weeks earlier in the Courts of Criminal Justice in Dublin.

That appearance, Sgt Kenny added, led to a five month sentence being issued for a theft related charge on the condition Mr Negrea entered into a two year peace bond.

His other previous convictions, the court heard, related to public order and damaging property.

Mr Negrea’s solicitor John Quinn said there was little by way of mitigation which could be presented for what was a classic case of the “wine was in and the wit was out”.

Mr Quinn said: “He was too intoxicated and he apologised profusely to the Garda and his partner.”

“It was unacceptable and out of character.”

Judge Bernadette Owens expressed her own doubts as to the genuineness of Mr Negrea’s remorse given the latitude the courts had given him just weeks earlier.

“He is on a suspended sentence less than a month before this,” she said.

Mr Quinn said while that was a fair comment to make, Mr Negrea was now in a much healthier place and was keen to put the incident firmly behind him.

“He assures me it will never happen again and he has learnt his lesson,” said Mr Quinn.

“He has also made up with his partner and is most embarrassed. It shouldn’t have happened.”

Judge Owens said given Mr Negrea was on a suspended sentence, she said the court would be holding off on finalising the matter for now.

“I appreciate you are only taking instructions, but I don’t think it’s as simple as it is presented to you, Mr Quinn,” she said.

Mr Negrea was remanded on bail to reappear on February 19, 2026 to allow a probation report to be readied for the court’s consideration.