Assault accused fought with his mother on night before court
A MAN before Sligo District Court on an assault charge had been fighting with his mother and Gardai the night prior to the court, Judge Kevin Kilrane heard.
"You acted in a completely blackguardly and vicious manner," Judge Kilrane told John Dennedy, 5 Racecourse View who was said to have assaulted a completely innocent victim, Derek Healy, causing him harm after a case of "mistaken identity" at John F. Kennedy Parade following an earlier incident in a nightclub on November 16th, 2010.
Judge Kilrane was informed that Healy had suffered dental injuries and was off sick for a week after the assault.
He was told that there had been a row within a disco and the defendant had been put out and the victim had also left.
For some reason, Dennedy thought the person who left was the person in the altercation but CCTV showed this was not the case. The victim walked down the street and Dennedy tried to approach him. He was stopped by his girlfriend but made a number of attempts to break away and eventually did so. Dennedy then struck the victim.
Judge Kilrane also heard that Dennedy had one previous conviction for assault and had been fined €400.
In response to defending solicitor, Mr. Shane Mcdermott, Dennedy said he accepted he was completely out of order and his behaviour inexcusable. He apologised for his actions on the night and said this was a genuine apology.
Mr. Mcdermott said there was a sum of € 200 in court and Dennedy said he realised this compensation was not enough. He was prepared to pay €50 per week from his social welfare.
Answering Inspector Gerry Connolly, Dennedy accepted that Derek Healy had nothing to do with the row in the disco.
Inspector Connolly put it to him that he was part of the problem at home and not to be blaming his mother. "I'm not, no," he replied. The court then heard that Gardai went to Racecourse View and saw the defendant fighting with his mother in the housing estate. He was very aggressive and abusive.
"This man is at the end of the line as far as I am concerned," commented Judge Kilrane as he sentenced Dennedy to three months for the assault and three months concurrent for engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour at Racecourse View on January 18th.
