Triedtowin backhis girlfriendbut headbuttedher
A 21 year old trainee chef who headbutted his girlfriend was fined € 300 by Judge Kevin Kilrane at Sligo District Court.
Daniel Lambert of Mulberry Park admitted assaulting Nicole Clancy at South Court Yard Apartments, Quayside Shopping Centre on April 29th last.
The court heard the couple were in a relationship at the time.
Ms Clancy said she was stating with friends at an apartment that evening when the defendant turned up in a highly intoxicated condition.
He became very agitated and headbutted her. He also grabbed hold of her and dragged her about, trying at one stage to shove her down stairs outside the apartment.
Her friends saw what was happening from a nearby balcony and came out to pull the defendant off her. She was pressed against the wall.
The Gardaí were called and she was advised to go to hospital to have her swollen nose looked at but she declined.
Asked by the judge how she felt about the defendant now, the witness replied that she couldn’t stand him.
In reply to Ms Laura Spellman, solicitor ( defending), witness said Lambert didn’t want her staying in her friends’ apartment that night.
She had decided to break- up with the defendant a few weeks previous to the assault over another incident but she was waiting to finish in college.
Ms Spellman pleaded that Lambert wasn’t taking the break- up very well and was trying his best to win Ms Clancy back.
He was extremely apologetic and had € 500 in court for Ms Clancy.
Asked if this had been a once off incident, witness said that she had been going out with Lambert from Leaving Certificate and throughout their time together there were rages of anger from the defendant which got worse during the year.
Lambert told the court the assault was completely out of character and that he had too much to drink. He agreeed he was trying to win Ms Clancy back.
Judge Kilrane said it was a particularly nasty assault on a young woman who was going about her business.
“It appears the defendant has anger issues which were building for some time.
“He is lucky he is not charged with a Section 3 assault. It was prolonged and but for the presence of others there it could have been much worse,” he said.