FORMER LEICESTER CITY and Hibernian football club goalkeeper Conrad Logan has been spared a criminal conviction and prison sentence for a drink-fuelled “melee” on his stag night in Dublin.

Logan, 38, with an address in Leicester, England, who tried to headbutt a garda, pleaded guilty last month to public order offences.

He admitted being intoxicated to the extent he was a danger to himself and others, and engaging in threatening, abusive, and insulting behaviour on the night of 21 April, 2024, at Eustace Street in the city centre.

The prosecution withdrew a third charge for assaulting a garda during the incident.

Donegal-born Logan, who had been drinking since 11am and was with a group for his stag night, had been asked to leave a pub.

Judge John Hughes heard at Dublin District Court that Logan, who had no previous convictions, attempted to headbutt one plain clothes officer and told a garda who produced his official identity card, “I don’t give a fuck who you are”.

However, the judge noted his previous good record and references furnished to the court. When the case resumed yesterday/today (Tue), he learned that Logan, who was excused from attending the hearing, had donated €1,000 to a youth group in Dublin’s East Wall area.

Defence counsel Luke O’Higgins said his client also intended to return to Dublin, visit the club to donate equipment, and work with the members aged 10 to 14.

Judge Hughes applied the Probation of Offenders Act.

Earlier, a Leicester City club welfare officer provided a testimonial that described Logan as kind and quietly spoken and added that he “maintained a positive reputation wherever he goes.”

Logan, who had a lengthy playing career, is now involved with the Anstey Nomads FC in Leicestershire; the club’s secretary also provided a detailed letter outlining his role in setting up a team for children with special needs.

Pleading for leniency, Mr O’Higgins said the purpose of the reference letters was to show that the incident was completely out of character, foolish, and it should not have happened.

Counsel asked the court to consider leaving him without a conviction and to note that Logan had given back so much to his community, friends, and football fans.

He said his client “never so much raised his hand to a person on the football field,” and it simply should not have happened.

Mr O’Higgins characterised the incident as “a flash in the pan” and short-lived, and he submitted that Logan was unlikely to come before the courts again in any jurisdiction.

The court heard he spent a night in a cell before facing his first court appearance the following day when he was granted bail.

Initially, he denied all the charges but changed his plea to guilty when the assault charge was dropped.

Judge Hughes recalled the evidence that two gardai went into the pub, and there was a melee with Logan’s group.

It was the accused’s own stag night, and they had been asked to leave before gardai were called.

The judge described the former goalie’s conduct outside on the street, and the fighting and brawling in public, as “absolutely disgraceful”. He commented that it was unfortunate that in the twilight of his career that he had shown such disrespect to gardai.

However, he recognised that a conviction could have serious consequences for Logan, who had a long and distinguished career and was a sports role model for young people.