WOMAN’S HEN PARTY ASSAULT ‘VERY SERIOUS’

A ONE-PUNCH assault by Louise Morris (23), the Cottage, Ballinlow Lane, Kilmuckridge, on a hen party goer in a Gorey night club was a very, very serious matter, Judge John Cheatle concluded.

Ms Morris and the District Court sitting heard testimony from the injured party who was on the receiving end of the punch at the O2 night club on February 1, 2015.

Primary school teacher Aine Brannock told how she had required two operations under general anaesthetic to treat her broken nose and she was likely to require further surgery.

Ms Brannock explained that she was in Gorey on the date in question with her bride-to be-sister and three friends when the defendant pulled at the sister’s veil.

She was pushed away from the group and responded by running into the hen party group on the dance floor to deliver the blow which earned her an assault causing harm conviction.

‘You can’t just go and punch people in the face,’ remarked Ms Brannock in the witness box, telling the court that she was hugely affected by the assault which left her bruised and with black eyes.

She recalled that it turned out that the accused woman was working in the hotel where she was staying during her time in Gorey.

Defending solicitor David Tarrant revealed that his client, mother of an eight month old baby, had since lost that job.

The judge felt that Ms Moore had put the injured woman through hell and it was a very, very serious matter

He adjourned the case for sentencing to a later date.