Man broke neighbour’s arm with a hammer

THREE-YEAR SUSPENDED SENTENCE HANDED OUT FOLLOWING INCIDENT

A Moldovan national who broke a neighbour’s arm with a claw hammer has been given a three year suspended sentence.

Andrei Negura (36) later claimed to gardaí that there had been a fight between him and Bohuslav Kalias and denied that he had attacked the man, who was working on a car with his brother at the time. Negura also smashed up that car with the hammer, causing €1,900 worth of damage.

Mr Kalias had to get his right arm fixed in place using a rod and screw and needed 38 stitches around his elbow following the assault. His victim impact report stated that he cannot bend the arm completely or lift it above eye height and if he rolls over onto it during sleep, he wakes up in extreme pain.

Mr Kalias said his interaction with his family had changed too, as he could not lift his children or help out as much at home. He said for the first six months following the incident he was stressed and afraid to leave his home in case he met Negura.

Negura, a father-of-two of James Terrace, Drogheda, Co Louth, had initially denied a charge of assault and a trial date was set.

He later pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to production of a claw hammer while assaulting Mr Kalias causing him harm and criminal damage to the vehicle in Balbriggan on May 15, 2015. He has six previous convictions from the District Court.

Diarmuid Collins BL, prosecuting, told Judge Melanie Greally, when evidence was first heard last October, that the pleas of guilty were acceptable to the State and the charge of assault causing harm to Mr Kalias was dropped.

Judge Greally previously adjourned the case and ordered a report from the Probation Service.

Last week, she acknowledged that this report put Negura at a low risk of re-offending, largely due to the fact that he had addressed his heavy drinking.

The judge accepted that Negura has no previous convictions for violence, has demonstrated remorse for his behaviour and has not come to garda attention since.

Judge Greally sentenced Negura to three years in prison which she suspended in full on strict conditions.