Homefromthe US- punchedman inrestaurant

A 43- year- old man home from the US who punched another man in the face at a fast food restaurant was fined € 300 at Sligo District Court where he also came up with € 2,700 for his victim.

Before the court was Mark Gaffney with an address in Rockland, Massachusetts who admitted assaulting Gerry Doherty at the Four Lanterns, John Street on March 21st last.

He initially appeared before a sitting of Tubbercurry District Court and was remanded on bail to Sligo by Judge Kevin Kilrane.

Mr Doherty, who appeared in court with a black eye, recalled being in the Four Lanterns but said he “didn’t know what happened.”

He said he had gone in there for a bite to eat having had a couple of drinks in a pub across the road.

Mr Doherty said he had travelled down from Dublin a couple of hours earlier.

He said after being struck he had been unconscious for awhile and was brought to hospital.

He worked as a lorry driver and was on a break for a couple of days.

Ms Laura Spellman, solicitor ( defending) said Gaffney had apologised to the victim at the sitting of the court in Tubbercurry. Ms Spellman pleaded that the defendant was home in Ireland for an anniversary Mass and had been living in the US for the past twenty years. He had a sum of € 1,500 in court for his victim.

Judge Kilrane said this was not enough and that it had been a serious assault.

The Judge said he believed Mr Doherty was “seriously underplaying his injury” and that he was a very honest and decent man.

“I would expect him ( defendant) to do a little better than that. He’s been working in the US for over 20 years,” said the Judge.

Ms Spellman asked for the matter to be allowed stand and upon resumption, she called the defendant to give evidence.

He said he had to borrow the € 1,500 from a couple of friends. All he had in his bank account was $ 1,400 and his monthly mortgage was $ 1,600.

He had taken everything out to come home for his mother’s anniversary. He worked in carpentry and lived close to Boston.

He told Judge Kilrane he didn’t have any savings.

“I bought a house last year and I pay a fortune in taxes. I live from cheque to cheque,” he said.

He was due to go back to the US on the Sunday after the court sitting on the Thursday.

Gaffney said he couldn’t come up with any more money. He said he was not a fighter but a family man and that he rarely drank.

On the night he said he was drinking after the funeral of a cousin who died in tragic circumstances and he had been going home early around 11pm.

He was in the Four Lanterns when an argument started, a shouting match over America when there was mention of it on the radio.

Judge Kilrane said the minimum he would require was € 3,000.

He adjourned the case to a special sitting of the court on the Friday night and said he would finalise the matter without a custodial sentence if this sum was forthcoming.

When the court sat again, Gaffney produced the € 3,000 of which € 2,700 was directed to Mr Doherty and € 300 in a fine.