This article is from page 10 of the 2006-02-14 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 10 JPG
A BARMAID who had a pint glass thrown at her for refusing to serve a man a drink was then threatened that she would never make it to court if she persisted in giving evidence of the assault.
John Maughan (32) of Stone Court in Ennis was before the Ennis District Court charged with assaulting barworker, Ann Woods and with intimidating her as a witness.
The court heard that the accused man admitted throwing a glass at Ms Woods, hitting her on the side of the head on October 28 last.
She had refused to serve him drink because he was unsteady. The court heard the glass didn’t break.
At a later date, Inspector Michael Gallagher the Ennis District court, Maughan threatened Ms Woods that he would “break her legs if she appeared in court.
He told her, “you won’t get there you c*** bitch.”
Ms Woods gave evidence that she found Maughan “very intimidating.”
The accused man’s solicitor, Tara Godfrey, said her client wanted to apologise to Ms Woods.
He had a serious drink problem for 13 years and his wife had now gone to England with their two children, Ms Godfrey said..
But his family were trying to help him stay sober and had arranged to have him assessed in Bushy Park.
Judge Aeneas McCarthy said that he took “a very dim view of witnesses being intimidated.
“The whole integrity of the justice system depends on people being able to testify.”
He jailed Maughan for nine months on the intimidation charge and a further four months for the assault with the glass.
He set bail for an appeal at €2,000 with Maughan’s own bond of €500.