This article is from page 12 of the 2006-01-24 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 12 JPG
A 20-YEAR-OLD man who heard allegations that his sister had been subjected to lurid comments, carried out a “frenzied attack” on a jeep outside the home of the alleged aggressor.
Michael Vaughan, of Toormore, Ruan, was accused of causing more than €1,500 criminal damage to a jeep in Newmarket-on-Fergus, on May 1, 2005.
In a related incident, his sister Geraldine Sherlock (30) and another woman, Olivia Cullinan (24), both with addresses at Kilnasoolagh Park, Newmarket-on-Fergus, pleaded guilty to assault, at Ennis Road, Newmarket, on the same date.
Garda Des McAuley told Ennis District Court that a man in his 30s made lurid remarks to the two women in a bar, to which they took offence.
Some time later, as he was walking home, the two women assaulted this man, with “a combination of kicks and fists.” Ms Sherlock took off her shoe and hit him in the face, after he called her a name. The man’s cousin then came along and he, too, was assaulted by the women.
The two women then went to Ms Sherlock’s home, where they met her brother Michael Vaughan. After he was told about the earlier incident, he went to the home of the man who allegedly made the comment, and damaged a jeep, which was parked in the driveway.
According to the garda, the owner of the jeep – the father of the man who allegedly made the comment – had nothing to do with the earlier incident. The total damage caused was €1,625. Gda McAuley said Mr Vaughan’s involvement was “premeditated”.
Defending solicitor Tara Godfrey said Ms Sherlock, a separated mother-of-two, accepted she should never have acted the way she did, and said Ms Cullinan, a single mother, was trying to protect Ms Sherlock. She said Mr Vaughan was extremely upset about what he heard from his sister and her friend. The solicitor said Mr Vaughan had €600 in court, which was paid over, as part of the compensation.
Judge Aeneas McCarthy said, “Clearly they (the women) were subjected to some form of provocation.” He dismissed the charges against both, under the Probation of Offenders Act.
He said Mr Vaughan got involved in something that “was effectively none of his business.” He adjourned his case for a month, to allow him to pay the remaining compensation.