This article is from page 13 of the 2006-02-21 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 13 JPG
A NORTH Clare man who glassed another man in the face has been warned he will face 12 months behind bars if he gets into trouble over the next two years.
Before Ennis Circuit Court was Michael Neylon (36), with addresses at Parliament Street, Ennistymon and Ardnaculla, Ennistymon, who pleaded guilty to assaulting a man in his 40s from north Clare, thereby causing him harm, at Cagney’s pub, Parliament Street, Ennistymon, on March 17, 2005.
Garda Louise Casey told Ennis Circuit Court that the injured party went to Ennistymon Garda Station on March 19, and said he had been assaulted by the accused two days earlier.
She said the injured party suffered facial injuries, but did not have any lasting marks on him as a result of the assault and pointed out that the accused fully co-operated with gardaí.
She said the accused, a single man who lived with his mother, had a “chronic” alcohol problem. She said, “I think this was a wake-up call for him.”
She said the accused was hospitalised three days after the offence, having taken an overdose.
Defending barrister, Lorcan Connolly, said his client had not drank for almost a year prior to St Patrick’s Day last year and he broke out on that day.
He accepted that the photographs in court of the accused’s injuries were “particularly distasteful” but said there were no long-term effects for the injured party.
Judge Carroll Moran said the photographs of the injured party were “unsightly.”
“The complainant told gardaí he was hit with a glass. He [Neylon] could have done serious damage. There is no belittling the seriousness of this matter,” he said.
The judge said he was taking into account the guilty plea. Commending the Garda evidence the judge said, “Gadra Louise Casey has been extremely fair to you. I hope you appreciate that she has effectively spoken up for you.”
He imposed a 12 month jail term, suspended for two years and bound the accused to the peace for two years. He warned, “I intend to impose 12 months if he does get into trouble.”