Medic bit part of his brother’s ear off in row over family farm
Radiographer admits assault on his younger sibling
A MEDICAL professional bit off the top part of his brother’s left ear in a farmyard row ‘around land, monies and a shed’, a court has heard.
Farmer Daniel O’Halloran, 37, said that he been left ‘disfigured’ by the assault by his older brother, Conor O’Halloran, 42, at Liscullane, Tulla, Co. Clare, in May 2021.
While in the witness box at Ennis Circuit Court, Daniel O’Halloran turned his head to allow Judge Francis Comerford see his disfigured left ear up close.
During his victim impact evidence, he told the court: ‘My personality has changed dramatically. I feel like I’m filled with anger because of this.
‘My ear is disfigured and I will have to live with it as a constant reminder for the rest of my life of what my brother did.’
Daniel O’Halloran said on May 5, 2021, ‘my brother’s sole purpose was to terrorise me and my mother, first running upstairs to her sick bed and telling her “to call the guards, that ye are going to need them” before setting out in a rage looking for me.’
He said: ‘I have done nothing wrong here. I worked the family farm supporting my siblings financially my whole life and this is the thanks I get.’
Conor O’Halloran, a radiographer at a Dublin hospital, has pleaded guilty to the assault causing harm to Daniel O’Halloran and in court has offered €10,000 compensation and ‘genuine remorse’ for the assault on his brother.
Conor O’Halloran’s barrister Patrick Whyms said his client has no previous convictions, has never been in court before this and has been ‘a model citizen’ apart from this one act. Mr Whyms said the brothers were once close and are both godfathers to one of each other’s children.
Mr Whyms said that Conor O’Halloran has expressed a genuine sense of remorse and regret over his assault on his brother.
In evidence, Garda Brian Quinn told the court that when he arrived at the farmyard on May 5, 2021, he saw Daniel O’Halloran ‘shirtless and the top part of his left ear removed and blood down his face and down his body’.
Garda Quinn said that colleagues were with Conor O’Halloran of Rosebank, Old Bawn, Tallaght, Dublin 24, in the farmyard. He was arrested at the scene and replied: ‘Why am I being arrested and not him?’
In a statement to gardaí at the scene Daniel O’Halloran said that earlier in the morning, he described his brother ‘as being in a rage’.
He told Garda Quinn that Conor was roaring: ‘Come out, we will have it.’ Conor then took off his top and charged at his brother.
Daniel said that he was knocked over and while on the ground, Conor bit off the top of his left ear.
Daniel was brought by ambulance to the emergency department at University Hospital Limerick and counsel for the State, barrister Lorcan Connolly said that a medical report confirmed that ‘trauma to the left ear was consistent with a bite and tissue loss was noted’.
Daniel was treated and discharged the same day at the A&E and the treatment included a tetanus injection.
Garda Quinn said that relations between the two brothers had deteriorated and there were ‘issues around land, monies and a shed’. Mr Connolly said that Conor also owned farmland in the Tulla area and these lands were being farmed by his brother.
Garda Quinn said that Conor had said that he had travelled from Dublin to meet a farm administrator in Tulla.
Garda Quinn agreed with Mr Whyms that gardaí also observed bite marks on Conor’s chest after the fight. Conor also received a tetanus injection.
Mr Whyms said that Conor gave an account where he committed the ‘excessive’ bite act in response to being restrained around his neck. Garda Quinn said that if Conor was in a headlock he wouldn’t be able to bite someone’s ear.
Garda Quinn said that the brothers’ mother declined to provide a witness statement to the gardaí and has since died.
Mr Whyms said that Conor works as a radiographer at a Dublin Hospital and is married with children. He handed in testimonials for Conor from colleagues and former colleagues.
Mr Whyms said that at the time of the assault, Conor was also dealing with added stress as he was working long hours in his role as a Covid-19 frontline worker.
Daniel said that he continued work on the farm after his father died when he was 18 and in his victim impact statement, he said: ‘I find it difficult to socialise. I used to enjoy going out at the weekends, but not any more. I feel
Genuine sense of remorse and regret
Accused brother of ‘playing the victim’
people are looking at me and talking about me. I find it extremely stressful, I can no longer enjoy myself out so I don’t bother.
‘I stick to my routines such as going to the same shop to avoid meeting new people, or even people I have known for years as I get stares and questions.’
Then departing from the written statement, Daniel accused his brother of telling ‘only piles of lies, and taking my good name while always playing the victim to whomever will listen’.
Mr Whyms objected to the additional words telling Judge Comerford ‘this is going beyond’ the statement provided.
Judge Comerford said that he required time to consider matters and adjourned sentencing to next Thursday, February 23 and further remanded Conor O’Halloran on bail to that date.