Man alleged to have armed himself with Pit bull called 'Buster' avoids jail

A man from Longford who pleaded guilty to resisting arrest following an incident in Dublin in 2016 has received a four-month suspended sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Brian Farrell, aged 40, of Longford Villas, Sallynoggin, had initially denied charges of assaulting gardaí and possessing a claw hammer and knuckle duster. Two days into his trial, he changed his plea to guilty on two counts of resisting arrest, which the prosecution accepted. During the hearing, gardaí described encountering determined resistance when they attended the scene following a report of property damage. Judge Martin Nolan noted the incident occurred four years prior and that Farrell had remained out of trouble since then, though he remarked the defendant had behaved disgracefully. The suspended sentence came with conditions, and Farrell was ordered to pay €1,000 to a charity of the complainant garda's selection. The court heard Farrell has seven previous convictions, most dating back a decade.