A MONKTON man with a lengthy criminal record has been jailed for assaulting an emergency worker and spitting at him twice following a hearing at Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday (Apr 27).

McAuley Dennis Richard Breen, 25, of Colley Court was jailed for 18 weeks, the magistrates saying that the seriousness of the offences, the defendant’s previous convictions as well as his failure to comply with court orders left them little choice.

The court heard that on Sunday (Apr 25) he was found to be in possession of cannabis, which was seized and ordered to be destroyed. The next day, in Haverfordwest, the court was told, the defendant assaulted PC Paul Boorman which included spitting on him twice.

Breen has been in trouble several times before, most famously six years ago, he threatened to rape a police officer’s wife and “eat his babies”.

At just 18 years of age he committed his first adult offence. A court heard that on August 4, 2014, police attended Upper Frog Street in Tenby, after door staff at the Prince of Wales nightclub reported a group of people acting aggressively. Breen was part of the group. The defendant was restrained, and was shouting some alarming things, the CPS said. “He said ‘I’m going to eat your babies; I’m going to kill you and I’m going to rape your wife.”

A woman who was present at the scene described the defendant as a “disgusting animal”. Breen spat at PC Doble and attempted to bite him on the leg. When PC Doble attempted to handcuff him, Breen dug his fingernails in to the back of the officer’s hand, causing a small cut. For that offence Magistrates sentenced Breen to a 12-month Community Order with supervision, to include 160 hours of unpaid work.

He was also ordered to pay £50 compensation to PC Doble and costs totalling £145.

In 2018 a fracas on the streets of Pembroke cost Breen £200.

He pleaded guilty to using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour with the intention of causing fear of, or provoking violence, when he appeared before magistrates in March of that year.

The court heard that police arrived in Main Street, Pembroke, at 3am on February 4 to find around 20 people in the street, which some involved in fights and confrontations.

Breen, then 21, made threatening comments as he and another man were separated by police office from where they scuffled on the ground.

His solicitor at the time, Mike Kelleher, said his client was making attempts to change his life, had given up cannabis and was in the process of gaining catering qualifications.

On this occasion, Magistrates fined Breen £80 and ordered him to pay £85 costs and a £30 surcharge.

In 2019, Class A drugs were found on Breen’s person. He pleaded guilty to possession of 4.4 grams of MDMA when he appeared at Haverfordwest magistrates court on Tuesday, January 22, 2019. Magistrates fined Breen £120 and ordered him to pay £85 costs and a £30 surcharge.

In May 2019 Breen was back in court. He admitted failing to comply with supervision requirements following release from a period of detention and was sentenced Breen to 14 days in prison.

The court heard that Breen, 23, had missed three appointments with the probation service and failed to keep in contact with his supervising officer.

Julie Norman of the probation service said a warrant had been issued for Breen’s arrest after he failed to stay in contact after February 7. She added that he had a previous conviction for failing to comply with a court order.

Breen was released from prison on October 18 after serving a sentence for possession of a bladed article.

By October 2019, Breen, now 23, was back in court again. He had been found guilty in his absence of dishonestly making off without paying a £27.80 fare, after taking a taxi from Haverfordwest to Pembroke on December 27 the previous year. But he missed his trial because he believed he had already admitted leaving a taxi without paying.

Mike Kelleher, defending, said: “Mr Breen had been out in Haverfordwest and was the worse for wear. He had a taxi back to Pembroke and argued with the driver over the fare.

“He went into the garage, came out and there was another argument. He left the scene but there was no doubt who he was.”

“It’s an offence without any great planning. It was spur of the moment stuff while he was intoxicated.

Mr Kelleher added that Breen had not appeared at his trial as he was “firmly of the view that he had already been dealt with for this matter”, and thought the hearing was on a different date.

“He thought that he had already pleaded guilty.”

“He was not denying that this had happened and accepted that he was at fault for it.”

Whist fining him, chairman of the bench said: “I hope you get a job and I hope that this is the last time we see you in court.”

But it was not to be, he is now in prison.