Dean Walsh jailed for assault
TALENTED BOXER GUILTY OF TWO UNPROVOKED ATTACKS
FORMER European bronze medal winning boxer Dean Walsh (26) has been jailed after he admitted to two unprovoked attacks on the streets of Wexford which occurred in 2017.
Walsh, a native of Wolfe Tone Villas, pleaded guilty to two separate assaults. One of the victims ended up with a broken jaw, a fractured cheekbone and a plate inserted into his skull which he will have for life. The other man was punched in the face by Walsh following an altercation outside of a take-away. He subsequently fell and hit his head on the pavement, knocking him unconscious for 15 minutes and causing bruising to his brain.
A barrister representing Walsh said that his client’s behaviour could be traced back to the death of his grandfather and his failure to make the Irish squad for the Olympic games.
Judge Martin Nolan said that a custodial sentence could not be avoided, before handing down a four year term of imprisonment, the final 18 months suspended.
A LETTER from his famous uncle to the Circuit Court could not save boxer Dean Walsh from being jailed for assault.
The 26-year-old, who recently signed as a professional, admitted two unprovoked attacks on the streets of Wexford which occurred in 2017.
The sentencing hearing heard a letter from US boxing coach Billy Walsh who described the actions of his nephew as those of a thug.
Judge Martin Nolan also listened to one of the injured parties who described how he has suffered persistent headaches and back pain since he was punched outside a takeaway.
The address of the former European bronze medallist was given as 20 Wolfe Tone Villas, Wexford.
The court heard first from Garda Trevor Buckley who gave a summary of what occurred to Anthony Carlick on July 1 in 2017.
After leaving a pub in the town he was set upon by Walsh and another man, an incident which left him with a broken jaw.
He also sustained a fracture cheekbone and surgeons inserted a plate in the skull, which Carlick will have for the remainder of his life.
His jaw was wired shut for some time and he spent ten days in hospital before being out of work for two months as a result of his injuries. He was known to the defendant. He was not present in court to provide a victim impact statement as even talking about making such a statement made him anxious, Garda Buckley indicated.
However the court was told that he had made quite a good physical recovery.
Details were also provided of what occurred in North Main Street on November 5 in 2017.
Sergeant Anne Marie Doyle (since transferred to Waterford) told how the accused was in the Abrakebabra takeaway on the night in question.
There he met schoolteacher John Redmond from Clonegal and there was some pushing and shoving at the till.
Security staff intervened and Redmond left the premises, heading on foot towards Selskar.
A full can of coke was thrown, hitting him on the forehead as he walked.
He put up no defence as Walsh then approached and punched him in the face, causing him to fall and hit his head on the pavement.
He was knocked unconscious for ten to 15 minutes as he suffered bruising to the brain.
The sergeant reported that Redmond had since been treated for what she called post-traumatic headaches and that he remained anxious in social situations.
The two men did not know each other, she added.
Walsh left the scene, the court was informed, and alcohol was reckoned to be a factor in his behaviour.
Called up to the witness box, injured party John Redmond confirmed that he had been knocked unconscious that night.
He said he was four days in hospital before he could pass urine.
He lost a stone in weight during the first few weeks after the assault and felt that his body had still not recovered three years on.
He told how he had started his first teaching job in 2016 but that he was no longer as ambitious in his career as he had been.
For some time following the assault he was unable to carry out a full day’s work at school and he relied on his parents to drive him to work.
When he went to bed, he used to worry that he would never wake up and on one occasion in Gorey he had a breakdown because he was surrounded by people.
On the day of the court hearing he had a pain in his leg and he told how he had a bulging disc in his back as a result of the assault.
Doctors told him the surgery costing €5,000 could be carried out to deal with this but he was reluctant to submit to surgery.
He said he remained fearful when walking alone and he was constantly looking over his shoulder.
He found it difficult to cope with the recurrent headaches and back pain, remarking that every day was a struggle.
Barrister Jordan Fletcher traced the misbehaviour of his client back to the death of his grandfather and to his failure to take a place in the Irish squad for the Olympic Games.
Recently turned professional, as an amateur Dean Walsh was four times a national champion and a medallist in European championships.
Then he started drinking, takin drugs and hanging around with the wrong crowd, as counsel put it.
Mr Fletcher pointed to written references which were available to the court and read out parts of the letter from Billy Walsh.
The uncle, who used to coach Dean Walsh, wrote to express disgust at his nephew’s actions, describing him as a ‘ thug outside a night club’.
He suggested that there was a link with the passing of his grandfather Liam Walsh and his move to America.
The barrister urged that the remorse shown by the defendant was genuine and said that he was now back to being a model citizen.
A sum of €5,000 was available in compensation.
Giving his verdict, Judge Martin Nolan remarked that the offender responsible for two serious injuries clearly came from an excellent family.
Walsh was a hard working and ambitious man but, when intoxicated, he became belligerent and his inhibitions were gone.
The two men assaulted were attacked without provocation and the court felt that he had intended to hurt them
A custodial sentence could not be avoided, with the judge handing down a four year term of imprisonment, the final 18 months suspended.
Before he was led away to begin his sentence, a clearly emotional Walsh was hugged in the courtroom by his parents. He kissed his fiancée and then was led off by prison officers.