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A drunk TD was arrested when he verbally abused gardai who told him to turn down loud music at a bash for his child.

Sinn Fein Deputy Pat Buckley, 49, of Holly Ridge, Broomfield West, Midleton, Co Cork was before Midleton district Court yesterday charged with two public order charges.

The deputy pleaded guilty to charges of intoxication and threatening and abusive behaviour.

The court heard how the accused came to the door and told gardai: “I don’t need to tell you lot anything.”

As the gardai were leaving the accused then came running out of the house.

“He called a garda an asshole and told the members to f**k off and demanded to know who made the complaint,” Inspector Tony O’Sullivan said.

Judge Brian Sheridan was told by Inspector O’Sullivan that on August 18, 2017 the politician was celebrating the graduation of one his children from school.

The Inspector said that gardai were called to the TD’s home at Broomfield in Midleton because of a noise complaint.

Inspector O’Sullivan, who was prosecuting the case, said that the gardai called to the house but were met by an aggressive Deputy Buckley.

The inspector explained that Deputy Buckley’s sister repeatedly tried to “hold back” the now “aggressive” elected official.

Henry McCourt, solicitor for the defence, said that his client had no previous convictions except for a road traffic matter.

The Deputy, then a local Councillor, had previously been before the courts for a drunk driving offence and banned for three years in 2014.

His solicitor said his client was a “married man with two children and was celebrating a child’s graduation from school”.

He said that the Deputy’s home was full with people, friends and neighbours.

The solicitor told the court “the music got a bit loud” and said that his client “apologises in full”.

Judge Sheridan adjourned the case for six months until November 8 next to pass sentence.

Outside the court, Deputy Buckley, wearing a blue suit and green pin with white shirt, told the Irish Mirror that he did not wish to speak.

He said: “I have to drive to Dublin to talk about mental health tonight.”

He told our reporter to contact the Sinn Fein press office for a statement. They have not returned our contact.

Deputy Buckley had a previous high profile brush with the law when he was convicted of drunk driving after an arrest on June 9, 2013.

He was banned from driving for three years and fined €500.

Pat Buckley was a high profile town councillor in Midleton in East Cork and was known as a mental health advocate.

He was elected at the last election following an internal rift in East Cork politics when former Cork East TD Sandra McLellan declined to run after she claimed she was being bullied by constituency activists.