Courts

Coldplay fan handcuffed ‘for his own safety’ after drunkenly lashing out at medics

Kieran Graham (24) from Liverpool was spared jail over incident at Croke Park concert

Coldplay fans queue at Croke Park ahead of the concert. Photo: Sam Boal/Collins Photos
Tom Tuite
Fri Aug 30 2024 - 15:34

A Coldplay fan has been spared jail for “lashing out” at medics and causing trouble at the band’s sold-out concert in Croke Park.

Liverpool father of one Kieran Graham (24) travelled over to catch the first of the band’s four-night concert run in Dublin.

Judge Mark O’Connell fined Graham €500 after the support worker pleaded guilty to public order offences at Dublin District Court on Friday.

More than 80,000 fans were at the Thursday night gig, where drunk Graham began “lashing out at medical staff trying to render assistance” to him.

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Garda Adam Hannan told the court he intervened, but Graham lashed out at him and the medical staff and refused to give his name or address.

He was arrested “and handcuffed for his own safety,” but the medics deemed he did not need to go to the hospital.

He was brought to Store Street Garda station, charged and faced court the following day.

Judge O’Connell noted the man had no prior convictions and was pleading guilty at an early stage.

Defence solicitor Michael French said Graham was very apologetic and asked for leniency.

The solicitor told the court that “With the amount of alcohol consumed during the day, he was unsteady on his feet, which should have served as a warning sign to my client, it didn’t.”

“He was highly intoxicated,” the court heard.

Mr French added that Graham was “a young man who did not set out to cause trouble”.

The court heard he had a job and hoped to avoid a criminal record. He would pay money to charity if let out, and a receipt could be furnished later, the defence suggested.

However, the judge noted that would be difficult to arrange and said that Graham “did not give a damn”, had not co-operated and caused gratuitous inconvenience for gardaí.

He proceeded to convict and fine him €500, which must be paid within a month.