Allegedly demanded €1k after‘ golf club assault’

A man told Gardaí he was struck with a golf club by a man who also demanded that he pay him € 1,000.

However, Sligo District Court was told the alleged victim now didn’t want to give evidence in the matter and Gardaí were investigating an alleged appeoach to him in the matter by a third party.

Before the court was Leon Sweeney of Alma Terrace, Sligo who is charged with assaulting Ethan Hannon on May 5th 2016 at Rowan Tree Gardens, Collooney.

Garda McNamara, who is stationed in Collooney, told the court that he got a call to go to Rowan Tree Gardens following the report of an assault.

He met Mr Hannon who was “in a bad state” and was limping. The alleged victim told him that he had been assaulted by Sweeney with a golf club.

Mr Hannon said that he had been walking home when the defendant got out of the front seat of a car beside him wielding a golf club.

Sweeney began pushing Mr Hannon back in the direction of the housing estate. Sweeney allegedly told Mr Hannon that he owed him € 1,000.

Sweeney then allegedly struck Mr Hannon with the golf club on his left foot and also his right shin.

Mr Hannon told the Garda that Sweeney then allegedly said he would be back the next day for the € 1,000 and if he didn’t have it he would take the head off his mother and sister.

Garda Higgins said that when the defendant received a summons for assault in the matter, Mr Hannon contacted him to say that he wished to withdraw his complaint.

The Garda said he subsequently learned that the defendant had been approached by a third party and allegedly threatened that he would be burned out if he went ahead with his complaint and so would his sister’s and granny’s house.

Garda Higgins said that the defendant and Mr Hannon had grown up together in the Collooney area.

Judge Kevin Kilrane said he was very concerned about this case.

He noted that Mr Hannon had made two statements to Gardaí.

In the first he had detailed the extreme nature of the alleged assault on him while the Garda had also found him in an injured state. An ambulance was also called.

Now, the alleged victim was saying he was not assaulted by him.

“It’s extremely suspicious,” said Judge Kilrane.

He adjourned the case to June 22nd and remanded the defendant on continuing bail.

Mr Hannon, who was not in court, will have to be present on the adjourned date said the Judge.