A Russian refugee was sentenced to six months in prison at Galway District Court yesterday for stuffing a blood-stained sock into a garda's mouth.
Vadim Orlovskij, with a former address at Drishane Castle, Millstreet, Co Cork, was arrested by Garda Michael Collins at Centra supermarket, Forster Street, Galway, on November 15th last and charged with stealing €6 worth of food.
Garda Collins gave evidence that Orlovski stripped to his underpants while in a cell at the Garda station, sat on the floor and started to pick at a wound on his arm. It began to bleed heavily and the floor was soon covered in blood.
Two other gardaí entered the cell and had to restrain Orlovskij while his wound was bandaged. A doctor was called and he was happy with the way the wound had been bandaged by the gardaí. Orlovskij was then charged and told he could go. He started to dress himself.
Garda Collins said he noticed socks on the floor and, in an effort to help, picked them up and placed them on a table near him. Orlovskij then grabbed one of the socks and stuffed it in the garda's mouth.
"There was blood on the sock. It was in a serious state and the accused just smiled at me and put his finger up at me when he did it," Garda Collins said.
Orlovskij told the court through an interpreter that he was treated in an "undignified manner" while in custody. He denied stuffing the sock into the garda's mouth, claiming he had just pushed it in his face "as a gesture".
"It went in as far as my teeth and I nearly lost by cool," Garda Collins replied.
Ms Valerie Corcoran, defending, said her client had been asked to leave a hostel some weeks ago after suffering a nervous breakdown and he had nowhere to go.
He also claimed he had not received any money since leaving the hostel and he had to resort to stealing food to survive.
He pleaded guilty in court to a charge of stealing foodstuffs on November 19th last.
Judge John Garavan recommended that Orlovskij be deported at the earliest opportunity and receive the appropriate medical and psychiatric treatment while in prison.