Carl Houston (57), whose address is listed as Millvale, Ballygally, was previously convicted in absentia.
He was convicted of assaulting two officers in connection with June 6, 2021.
He was also convicted for resisting one of the officers; failure to provide a preliminary breath sample and driving with excess alcohol on the breath.
He is now present at Ballymena Magistrates’ Court for sentencing.
The court learned that the defendant’s car was parked on Coast Road around 8:40 pm with the keys in the ignition.
There was no one in the car, but next to Houston was sitting on a “steep slope” by the sea.
He spoke indistinctly; “looked drunk” and “staggered back and forth trying to get up”.
The defendant refused to submit to a preliminary breath test.
According to the prosecutor, the defendant “threatened the police saying he would ‘throw them into the water’ if they tried to drag him over the wall to safety.”
The court was previously told that a police officer said the defendant said he was “collecting seaweed”.
The prosecutor told the court that this week the police knocked the defendant to the ground “so that he would not harm himself when he reached the water.”
The prosecutor stated that the defendant continued to “try to drag himself to the water and drag the policeman along with him.”
The court was told he was “threatened” with “spraying” but continued to “lash out at the police” and “about two meters from the water’s edge” the police were able to put on handcuffs and limb restraints.
At the police station, the defendant had 87 breath alcohol - the legal limit for drunk driving is 35.
Convicting the defendant of the charges at a previous hearing, Deputy District Judge Philip Matir said he looked at the police footage filmed on the body and it showed that the police had spent some time with the defendant, who then attacked the officer.
He said the officers feared they might be “moved to the water down the slope.”
The judge also said it was “quite clear” that the defendant had failed to perform a preliminary breath test and that he had an excess amount of alcohol on his breath.
Judge Mater said, given the location; the absence of anyone nearby; having a car and a defendant living some distance away meant that Houston was in charge of a vehicle to get to and from the scene.
In court this week, the defense attorney said the defendant had previously been convicted on the charge in his absence from court and he would like to appeal.
In the sentencing court this week, Deputy District Judge Noel Dunlop sentenced him to two months in prison, suspended by two years; banned the defendant from driving for a year and fined him £400.
Defendant has been set a £300 bail to appeal and is allowed to drive pending appeal.