Drunk Irishman squeezed policeman's genitals

File photo / NZ Herald

An intoxicated Irishman who assaulted three people at a Queenstown bar and then squeezed the genitals of a police officer has been sentenced to nine months' jail.

Anthony Joseph Twomey, 25, a concrete worker, would be deported when his sentence was completed, Judge Kevin Phillips said in the Invercargill District Court today. If Twomey had told immigration officials about convictions he had in Ireland, he would not have been granted a work visa, Judge Phillips said.

Twomey was "yet another tourist who comes to Queenstown, gets drunk and gets involved in violence".

The defendant had earlier pleaded guilty to assaulting Jacob Hoggard with a weapon (a pool cue), assaulting Cain Mann with a weapon (a glass), assaulting Sergeant Mark Gill, and assaulting bar doorman Paul Moynihan at the Buffalo Club.

Twomey and two friends were playing pool when a scuffle broke out between one of his friends and Mr Hoggard.

One of the friends grabbed Mr Hoggard and held him against the wall while Twomey picked up a pool cue and swung it at him, hitting him on the arm.

One end of the cue hit an empty glass, causing it to fly across the bar and hit Mr Mann in the face, causing a 2cm cut below his eye.

Twomey was restrained and taken outside, during which time he attempted to strangle Mr Moynihan.

After being arrested, Twomey was belligerent and aggressive and at one point grabbed Sgt Gill by the genitals and squeezed.

Twomey was sentenced to nine months' jail on each of the assault with a weapon charges, three months for assaulting Sgt Gill and one month for assaulting Mr Moynihan, the terms concurrent.