Man acquitted of nightclub assault

A 30 year old man has been found not guilty by a jury of allegedly breaking another man’s jaw in a nightclub in 2014.

A jury of seven men and five men found Ciaran O’Boyle of 58 Seaview Park, Sea Road by not guilty by unanimous verdict of assaulting Daniel McMorrow causing him harm at the Velvet Rooms, Kempton Parade on October 27th 2014.

The trial took place at Sligo Circuit Court last week and lasted two days.

The accused was represented by Mr Leo Mulrooney BL instructed by Ms Laura Spellman, solicitor while Ms Dara Foynes BL instructed by State Solicitor Mr Hugh Sheridan, prosecuted.

The court heard Mr McMorrow received a broken jaw in an incident which was captured on CCTV and which was shown to the jury. He was seen being struck in the face. Mr McMorrow stated that he had been out drinking in TD’s pub with his father and his brother before leaving to go to the Velt Nightclub on his own.

was in the smoking area around 1.30am and told Gardaí he didn’t remember the incident just being brought outside.

He stated that when he went in the door of the nightclub he saw the accused and kept his distance from him

He went to Sligo University Hospital on October 29th.

His jaw was swollen and sore and x- rays showed that it was broken. On the 30th, Mr McMorrow attended at Sligo Garda Station and complained he had been assaulted by the accused.

Mr McMorrow said he knew it was the accused who had hit him, that he ( accused) didn’t like him for a while.

O’Boyle told Gardaí that Mr McMorrow had spat into his face in the smoking area and he hit him a couple of punches but wasn’t sure where.

The accused admitted that he had been staring at Mr McMorrow earlier.

The accused also stated that he had been threatened by Mr McMorrow in the past.

He stated that he believed he hadn’t broken Mr McMorrow’s jaw.

After the jury returned with its unanimous not guilty verdict, the accused was discharged by Judge Keenan Johnson.