Arrest warrant issued for Lurgan farmer who left Craigavon Magistrates Court before his sentencing as 'there were cattle to be moved'

James Conn Geddis, aged 55, from Deans Road, Lurgan appeared before the court before lunchtime for sentencing having pleaded guilty to two charges of assaulting police and resisting police on November 30 last year.

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Geddis’ barrister Damian Halleron told District Judge Bernie Kelly that ‘it’s not a sentencing exercise at the moment because there was an attempt to do an addendum pre-sentence report and it didn’t go very well – I think that’s probably the fairest way to put it’.

The district judge said it was a ‘free world and he has chosen immediate custody’. Mr Halleron said both he and Geddis’ solicitor have spoken to him and given him ‘frank advice about his behaviour’. “He now regrets his behaviour,” said Mr Halleron.

The district judge said part of the sentence deferral agreement was that he would do an up-to-date pre-sentence report. Mr Halleron said his client was frustrated as he didn’t understand why he had to get an addendum report as ‘as far as he was concerned he had abided by the conditions of the deferral’ up to that point. “The Probation officer made reference to a charge that was not proceeded with and that started the adverse interaction. I am asking Your Honour to give him one final opportunity, otherwise he is going to jail. He knows he is going to jail if he doesn’t turn up to Probation and behave himself.”

District Judge Kelly asked what sort of a ‘cheeky’ man is he ‘to come out with that to Probation’ and asked what Mr Conn Geddis’ university degree is and what age did he leave school and with what qualifications? Mr Halleron said he understood his client had left school at 16 and has been farming since.

The district judge, at 1.10pm, adjourned court for lunch at that stage. After lunch when the case was recalled Mr Halleron revealed that his client was no longer in court. “He had gone to the farm as there are cattle to be moved apparently,” Mr Halleron told the court.

District Judge Bernie Kelly issued a warrant for the defendant’s arrest.