Local news site Armagh I reports the Portuguese candidate – Fabio Noe Monteiro of Portadown – pleaded guilty to disorderly behaviour at Craigavon Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday (29 May) following an incident in February where police were called to a disturbance at Grafton Recruitment’s Market Street office in Portadown.

The court heard two members of Grafton’s staff reported that the defendant had acted aggressively towards them, demanding that they get him “a f****** job”.

When informed by one of Grafton’s recruiters that he would find a job, the defendant said: “Get me a f****** job, this is bull****. You never get me a job.”

While a Grafton accounting manager asked Monteiro to leave, he refused telling him: “You need to get me a f****** job.”

After police were called, Monteiro was arrested. While being quizzed by police Monteiro admitted to refusing to leave and using aggressive language but denied swearing.

Defence solicitor Joseph McDonald stated: “He had been in work up until December 2018. In January of this year his bank account with Ulster Bank was hacked with his money being taken.

“He wasn’t entitled to benefits and had been to Grafton on a number of occasions without receiving work. He had seen friends of his get jobs through the agency but perhaps it was his demeanour, which meant he was overlooked.

“He has a one-year-old child, who he supports. Between December and April he was in arrears.

“He accepts that he was very frustrated, he lost it and was crying while he was shouting in the agency building.”

The defence also told the court the defendant had since secured a job through another recruitment agency.

District Judge Bernie Kelly, who ordered Monteiro to pay a fine of £350, along with the offender’s levy of £15, within 16 weeks, added: “We cannot say to anyone that this is an acceptable and appropriate way to act.

“I don’t know if this transfers to Portuguese but we have a saying: ‘You will catch more flies with honey than you will with vinegar’.”

She continued: “Being polite and waiting your turn gets you far further than being rude and aggressive. When you act like this people will ignore you. If you keep on amassing a record the way you are doing you will be deported back to Portugal.”

Recruiter contacted Grafton’s parent company Staffline for comment and was told they had nothing further to add.

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