Visitor assaulted in unprovoked street attack

COURT

A man from Dublin visiting Sligo with others on a football trip was assaulted in an unprovoked attack as he chatted to an elderly man sitting on bench outside a bookies.

Charged with assault causing harm on September 10 th 2016 was Michael Sweeney (41) of 38 Old Bundoran Road, Sligo. The court heard he had a number of previous convictions including one for assault in 2013.

Declan O’Brien told Sligo District Court he had just come out of a bookies at Rockwood Parade and saw an elderly man on bench crying. The man was holding a can of alcohol and Mr O’Brien said he chatted to him for a minute. He had come to Sligo with others on a football team and had come into town for drinks afterwards.

After the brief chat with the elderly man he walked over towards the Snug before returning a couple of minutes later to talk once more to the man whose first name was the same as his brother who had passed away three years earlier. As he was talking to the man, a man approached him and slapped him on the head and ear.

“I told him don’t do that and then he shouted at me that he had been looking after the man for years,” said Mr O’Brien.

He then looked down and saw blood on his hand. He couldn’t believe he had been struck. He next recalled waking up while on the ground.

He was brought to hospital where he had three staple stitches inserted in a head wound having hit his head off the ground on his way down after being struck a second time. He was left with a scar on the inside of his mouth, a wound on which glue was used. He was discharged from hospital that evening. He still suffered a little bit of stress over the incident and won’t approach anyone in the street anymore.

Mr Mark Mullaney, solicitor (defending) said the defendant extended his sincere apology and this was accepted by Mr O’Brien. Mr Mullaney told Mr O’Brien that he was being a good Samaritan to another citizen and said he was to be commended for accepting the apology.

The defendant had no recollection of what occurred having drank four bottles of vodka with his brother-in-law. He remembered waking up in a cell but not even leaving the house.

The married father had €500 in court for his victim, said Mr Mullaney. “He is genuinely remorseful. It is unforgivable what he did but I would ask you to extent the mercy of the court to him,” he added.

Sweeney told Judge Kevin Kilrane he last worked in 2005 as a bricklayer.

The Judge asked why he shouldn’t be jailed having viciously assaulted a man who was helping an unfortunate on the street.

The defendant had also appeared regularly before him including for involvement in other “Traveller rows.”

Mr Mullaney pleaded with the Judge to take into account the apology, that the assault was two years ago and an offence of this type was out of character.

Judge Kilrane said it was a gratuitous assault. If the defendant came up with €3,000 this Thursday he would consider a further plea. If not, he faced six months in jail.