Hero diver broke elderly man’s rib in row over disabled parking space

A hero diver pushed an elderly man and broke his rib during a row over a disabled parking space.

Augustine O’Driscoll parked his pick-up 4x4 in a disabled parking bay after rushing across the road to get his wife her favourite cake from a local bakery.

But when he came back jut three minutes later, he was met by a man who was annoyed that he had done so.

Words were exchanged and O’Driscoll ended up pushing the man, who fell against a fence.

Businessman O’Driscoll appeared at Letterkenny District Court in Co Donegal yesterday, where he was charged with assault causing harm and engaging in threatening, abusive, or insulting behaviour.

O’Driscoll, of Ballykeerin, Kilmacrennan, pleaded guilty to all the charges through his solicitor, Cathal Quinn.

Mr Quinn told the court that his client was a specialist diver who was often called upon by the navy and in search-and-rescue missions, where he dived to depths of up to 100m.

His solicitor said he had never come before the courts before and was deeply ashamed and embarrassed by what had happened.

He has his own business for the past 15 years and was even considered a hero locally after an incident in 2003 in which he carried a woman from a burning building after an explosion.

Mr Quinn said there had been some provocation by the injured man, Frankie Doherty, who it was claimed spat at O’Driscoll during the altercation, on May 4 last on Main St, Letterkenny.

Judge Paul Kelly said he got particularly annoyed by people taking up disabled parking spaces when they had no right to.

He said there were hundreds of parking spaces around Letterkenny which O’Driscoll could have parked in and that Mr Doherty was quite within his right to remonstrate with him.

He ordered the accused to pay Mr Doherty €1,000 and adjourned the case until May 7.