Boxer O’Reilly faces prison for caravan damage

DISGRACED Olympic boxer Michael O’Reilly has been given a fivemonth prison sentence after admitting causing criminal damage to a caravan following an engagement party last year.

The sentence was imposed on O’Reilly, 24, from Mountrath, Laois, at Thurles District Court in Co. Tipperary yesterday but he was allowed to walk free pending an appeal to the Circuit Court.

The court heard that he had brought just €100 in compensation to court, even though the injured parties had put the damage to the caravan at €7,260.

The boxer had pleaded guilty in June to a single count of causing criminal damage to a caravan on April 18, 2016.

His father, Michael O’Reilly Sr, 45, of Portlaoise, was given a three-month sentence for causing criminal damage in the same incident, but also went free after giving notice of an appeal.

A brother, James O’Reilly, 18, of Portlaoise, was bound to the peace for a year for criminal damage, while a bench warrant was issued for another brother, Bernard, 24, who also admitted criminal damage but has left the Drugs cheat: Michael O’Reilly jurisdiction for the UK since evidence was heard last June.

The court heard at that time the defendants had been at an engagement party in Littleton, Co. Tipperary, and gardaí were called to an incident at 5am.

Michael O’Reilly nr and his sons were ordered to leave the area earlier and did so. But as they passed an area where their relatives, the Doyle family, had caravans parked, they started throwing rocks over the fence.

Stones and bottles were also thrown from the other side. Damage was caused to a caravan, the court heard in June.

The case was adjourned to allow the defendants bring compensation to court for damage to two cars and a caravan.

Yesterday, Michael O’Reilly Sr brought €150 to court and Michael O’Reilly Jr €100.

However, Judge MacGrath said the compensation offered by the defendants was ‘totally inadequate, totally unacceptable’.

After hearing that Michael O’Reilly Jr had 37 previous convictions, mostly for road traffic offences but also for theft, fraud and public order, she imposed a five-month sentence.

Michael O’Reilly Sr had two convictions for road-traffic matters. He got three months.

‘I have given the parties a way to avoid a custodial sentence by dealing with it in a particular way and this hasn’t happened,’ the judge said.

Both Michael O’Reilly Sr and Jr indicated that they intended to appeal the sentences and recognisances were fixed on their own bonds of €500 each.

Father-of-three Michael O’Reilly had been due to fight for Ireland in the Rio Olympics last year, but was sent home on the eve of the Games when it was confirmed that he had failed a drugs test in Ireland.

He said yesterday that he was ‘not commenting’ on the possibility of a boxing comeback but confirmed that he was appealing the prison sentence.