Olympic boxer ‘jailed’ over caravan attack
Drugs shame O’reilly freed to appeal 5mth term
BOXER Michael O’reilly has been given a five-month jail term after admitting causing criminal damage to a caravan.
The accused – who was sent home on the eve of the Rio Olympics last year for failing a drugs test – pleaded guilty in June to the offence on April 18, 2016.
The 24-year-old, from Mountrath, Co Laois, walked free from Thurles district court in Co Tipperary yesterday pending an appeal to the circuit court.
His father, Michael O’reilly Snr, 45, of Portlaoise, was given a three-month prison term for causing criminal damage during 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. A bench warrant was issued for another brother, 24-yearold Bernard, who also admitted criminal damage but is currently in the UK.
The defendants were attending an engagement party in Littleton, Co Tipperary, last April when gardai were called to an incident at 5am.
Michael O’reilly Snr and his sons had been ordered to leave the area but as they passed caravans belonging to their relatives, the Doyle family, they threw rocks and stones over a fence. Damage was caused to one caravan which was “excessive”, the court heard in June.
The case was adjourned on that occasion to allow the defendants to bring compensation to court – €879 for damage to a Nissan Micra, €664 for damage to a Citroen, while the amount of damage to the caravan was disputed.
The court heard the injured parties put the cost of repair at €7,260 but defence solicitor Philip Meagher, for Michael O’reilly Snr and James O’reilly, said his clients would place it at “no more than €1,000”.
Michael O’reilly Snr had brought €150 in compensation to court.
JJ Fitzgerald, solicitor for Michael O’reilly Jnr, said his client had brought €100 to court. It would have been more, but his wife recently gave birth to their third child “and a lot of that money went on the baby expenses”.
Judge Elizabeth Macgrath said the amount of compensation offered by the defendants was “totally inadequate” and “totally unacceptable”.
After hearing Michael O’reilly Jnr had 37 previous convictions, mostly for road traffic offences but also for theft, fraud and public order, she imposed a five-month prison sentence.
Michael O’reilly Snr had two previous convictions for minor road traffic matters.
After yesterday’s court proceedings, father-of-three O’reilly said he was “not commenting” on the possibility of making a boxing comeback.
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