‘DUVET WAS REEFED OFF ME’ - ACCUSED

THE school teacher accused of assaulting a man who came into his hotel room and attempted to drag him out of the bed in the early hours of the morning told his trial that he had felt threatened and described it as the most frightening experience of his life.

Danny Foster was giving evidence in his defence at his trial before a jury of eight men and four women at Sligo Circuit Court.

Foster was part of a group of 20 men from the Mullingar area who had come to Sligo on a stag week-end for a teacher colleague.

The accused recalled he drove to Sligo with three others, arriving at the Southern at around 8.45pm. There wasn’t a room in his name and one of his group said it didn’t matter what room they got, that they were part of the stag group.

The receptionist took out a book and the accused said he signed it and each of the four were given a room key. “I voiced my anxiety that I didn’t know anyone in that room but the lads said it didn’t matter that we didn’t come down here to sleep and that it didn’t matter were we put our head down.”

The four went into one room and there was already baggage in it. The other fellows were eager to get out and join the others in the stag group in the Garavogue and they left for there after leaving their bags in the room which was close to reception.

The accused said he drank pints of Budweiser that night. He recalled how the group was ushered into a room in the Garavogue where some “adult entertainment” was provided, which the trial had heard earlier was a stripper. The ‘show’ lasted 15 minutes.

The group moved on from the Garavogue and the accused said he later went to The Velvet Rooms nightclub leaving on his own, and buying chips on his way back to the hotel. He went to reception, gave his name and got a key from the night porter. He could not remember what number was on the key.

He opened the room and saw luggage in it. He got into the single bed. It was about 1.30am. His head was clear as he hadn’t drank much. He fell asleep.

The next recollection he had was someone standing at the door asking, “who’s that?” The light was on and the person asked, “what the f **** are you doing here?”

The accused said the man was squinting so he knew he was drunk. He told the man, Adam Carroll, that he had come back early as he had work to do the next morning but he was told he wouldn’t be *f ***ing staying here, that’s Jimmy Davitt’s bed and he’ ll kill you and I’ ll kill you, now get the f *** out.”

The accused said he stayed in the bed. “He made me feel like I couldn’t move. I felt he was looking for a fight, which to me would have been a fight over nothing,” he said.

Mr Carroll kept telling him that he wouldn’t be staying in this room. The accused said he felt threatened. He stayed in the bed and tried to deflect the situation.

“In my head I was thinking I was in the right room,” he said. He hadn’t taken note of the room number he was supposed to have been in. Mr Carroll was getting louder and was walking over and back in the room shouting at him.

“I knew it wouldn’t take much for him to go for me. I didn’t think I did anything majorly wrong to anyone. He was rambling on and I knew he wasn’t happy,” said the accused.

The accused said he tried ringing Paul Devine, one of the stag group’s organisers but it rang out. Mr Carroll also rang him saying he was doing so in order to get him out of the room. After hanging up, Mr Carroll began shouting again.

“He was like going berserk and told me that no way would you be staying in this room and to get the f *** out and I said I don’t want any hassle, that I just want to sleep,” said the accused.

Mr Carroll got undressed, put off the light and got into the other bed. The accused said he pretended to be asleep. Mr Carroll was mumbling and the accused said he knew he wasn’t happy.

Mr Carroll then got up and came over to him and “reefed” the duvet off him and he heard mugs breaking. The light was switched back on.

“He tried to pull me out of the bed and was half successful. I felt his arm coming across and pulling me out of the bed.

I got to my feet and I tried to push him off but he got me in headlock. He was shouting and roaring. I tried pushing my way out but he was a lot stronger and bigger than I was.

“I hit him over my shoulder a couple of times with my right hand. I wasn’t able to catch my breath. It was the most frightening experience ever.

“I hit him a few more times over the head and I broke free. I hit him again and he fell to the ground at the end of the bed. I remember seeing white dots.

“I picked up my clothes and I went to the door. I put on my clothes at the half open door. I told him this didn’t need to have happened and that I would get someone up,” said the accused.

He denied he ever told Mr Carroll that’s what he got for “f ***ing with Danny Foster.”

The accused said he left the room and went down to reception. The Gardaí were there in a few minutes.

Natalie Lite, told the court she was a receptionist and that room 431 had been allocated to Adam Carroll on the 20 th. A second guest was allocated but no name was given. Room 437 was allocated to Gareth Hickey. The broken mirror in room 431 along with a noise complaint charge amounting in total to €130 was charged to Gerry Farrell as the lead booking.

After deliberating for an hour and six minutes the jury returned a unanimous not guilty verdict.

Judge Keenan Johnson said he hoped both parties could now put this behind them and get on with their lives.