Man denies slapping girl in face at house

A young girl told Sligo District Court she was shocked and thought it was a joke after a man slapped her in the face. As a result of an incident on March 12th 2016, Larry Conell, 1 Tonaphubble was summoned for assault. The girl told the court she was in the defendant’s house when she was approached by the defendant and was asked if she had been the one roaring outside his “f.... ing foor yesterday with your big f.... ing mouth.” He was raising his voice and she was slapped in the face. She was shocked and thought it was a joke. The girl said she had been roaring because of a dog. The witness said the slap wasn’t too hard. It didn’t hurt her and there was no mark left. Her friend told her mother about it and she contacted the Gardaí. In response to Mr Tom MacSharry, solicitor ( defending) the girl said she didn’t want to go tot he Gardaí about it. She wasn’t afraid of the defendant.

Conell told the court there had been three girls outside his outside his house that day and was woken from his sleep. The complainant was in the house when he went down and he told her to tell the other two to stop shouting. “I did not and wuld never strike a child,” he said. The girl was back at his house two days later. “I did shout but I did not strike her,” he said. Judge Kevin Kilrane said he had observed the parties in court and he believed the girl was telling the truth. The defendant had been annoyed by a racket outside his huse that day or the day before. The Judge said he didn’t want to make matters worse between the parties however saying he was finding the facts proven and taken into consideration.