Gardaí release politician arrested three times over weekend

A politician arrested three times in 24 hours in Co Cork for drink related offences has this morning been released by gardaí.

The man, who is in his 30s and has served at national level, was arrested by gardaí in Mitchelstown at around 11.30pm on Sunday night after he was ejected from the Indiependence music festival.

He was arrested for being drunk and disorderly and was taken to Fermoy Garda station where it is alleged that he assaulted a garda before being processed and released at around 9am on Monday.

It is understood that the politician was verbally abusive to gardaí after they were called to the festival venue after he was ejected and that in the course of the arrest, he spat at the arresting officers.

The politician was later arrested on suspicion of drink driving when gardaí stopped him driving a car in Mitchelstown on Monday morning and he was again taken to Fermoy Garda station.

Disorderly

The man was later released but he was arrested a third time for being drunk and disorderly in Fermoy when he accosted gardaí. He was again detained at Fermoy Garda station.

The politician - who is not from Cork - was released early on Tuesday morning and gardaí are expected to prepare a file for the Director of Public Prosecutions in relation to the alleged assault.

Now in its 11th year, this year’s Indiependence saw some 10,000 music fans descending on the north Cork town for the three day music festival. It was headlined by Editors, Bell X1, The Kooks, Ash and Walking on Cars and generally passed off without incident, gardaí said.