Jailed for assault

‘Care workers must be protected,’ Judge Coughlan has remarked as he sentenced a 38-year-old man to five months imprisonment.

Fergal Sheehy, 28 Oakvale Park, Bay Estate, Dundalk, pleaded guilty to a charge of assault, which arose out of an incident at the Túsla Offices, Louth County Hospital campus, on 11 September, 2015.

Garda Hugh Jordan gave evidence that staff became concerned about the defendant’s behaviour.

He was asked to leave, and became aggressive and abusive, telling the injured party to ‘f*** away off’.

Sheehy was asked to calm down. He refused to leave the office.

The victim was standing at a door, and when he said the guards had been called, the accused stood up, and pulled the other man’s lanyard from around his neck, and threw it against a wall.

Sheehy then shoved his way past, shouldering the worker in the chest.

He has previous convictions, and solicitor Siobhán Murphy pointed out none were for violence.

On this occasion, her client’s access was being stopped, unfairly, he believed.

The defendant is unemployed. He is involved in long-term marketing training, and about to start his own business.

After making an order as outlined, the judge set bail in the event of an appeal at €200 cash.