‘We considered cancelling wedding after assault’
English visitor says his life has changed since
A MAN who was punched in the face several times in an incident involving two of Michael Healy-Rae’s sons in Kenmare, Co Kerry, has said he considered cancelling his wedding following the assault,
English visitor Kieran James said many aspects of his life had changed “to the detriment” in the wake of the incident over Christmas 2017.
Jackie Healy-Rae (24), who was elected to the council this year and who is a member of the Joint Policing Committee (JPC), received an eightmonth suspended sentence for assault causing harm to Mr James. He was described by Judge David Waters as the “enforcer” in the argument which began over queue jumping at a chip van in Kenmare, Co Kerry, on December 28.
His brother Kevin HealyRae (22), who was the first person involved in the row and who sought his brother’s assistance, was given a seven-month suspended sentence. A co-accused of the two brothers, Malachy Scannell (34), received two six-month suspended sentences for assault causing harm on the night.
In sentencing the three men, Judge Waters said that an aggravating factor in the case was that the group maintained in Garda statements and in cross-examination a version of events that was not borne out by CCTV.
Jackie and Kevin HealyRae, of Sandymount, Kilgarvan, were both charged with assault causing harm to Mr James.
Jackie was charged with assault causing harm to Mr James on two occasions on the night – at East Park Lane and Main Street, Kenmare.
Kevin Healy-Rae was charged with one charge of assault causing harm to Mr James, and Scannell, of
Inchinacoosh, Kilgarvan, was charged with assault causing harm to Mr James and to another man, Cornelius ‘Neily’ O’Sullivan.
Judge Waters said that if Jackie Healy-Rae had had previous convictions he would not have suspended the sentence, but given his clean record he would do so. All three had their respective sentences suspended for one year.
In a victim impact statement Mr James said that after the assault he had two operations. He continues to suffer from headaches and said both he and his wife Lauren have “recurring nightmares of the events”.
“From a very young age, every year I looked forward to visiting Kenmare with my family. The events that night have changed all of that and now I no longer want to visit the town I loved,” he said.
“I was forced to take several
days off work due to injury, medical treatment and for recovery.
“My wife and I had planned to get married in Kenmare before that assault happened. We were so looking forward to the wedding.
“The attack that night totally changed our feelings for the town and consequently we even considered cancelling our wedding arrangements. Although we finally got married in Kenmare as planned, the day was marred by the horrible memories of that night.”
Mr James said he was attacked twice in the space of a few minutes by the two brothers after his wife, Lauren, had commented on Kevin HealyRae barging to the front of a queue at a chip van.
Mr James said the assault – which left him with serious facial injuries including a broken nose – was unprovoked.
The Healy-Rae brothers had suggested that the dispute was politically motivated because people did not like the HealyRae family.
Defence solicitor Padraig O’Connell said Jackie HealyRae would not resign from the JPC nor from the council.
He also confirmed that all three men were appealing the case.