‘Long-standing feud’ results in convictions for five men

Five men have been convicted for offences spread over three incidents on one weekend, and all in the context of what a court was told was a “long-standing feud” between two related families.

In what a Garda Inspector described as “a play in three acts”, Dylan O’Driscoll, aged 19, of 84 Tawnies Crescent, Clonakilty, Co Cork, assaulted his cousin, a minor, on a school GAA pitch behind the local community college on September 1, 2018.

This triggered a subsequent act of trespass causing fear in the early hours of September 2 at his grandmother’s house by another of his cousins, Bradley Williamson, 19, and his friend, Karel Siweck, also 19.

Williamson was later assaulted by Dylan O’Driscoll, his brother, Kenneth O’Driscoll, and their uncle, John O’Driscoll, on Pearse St in the town.

Dylan O’Driscoll pleaded guilty at Clonakilty District Court to assaulting the minor and to later assaulting Williamson.

He was also found guilty by Judge James McNulty of violent disorder.

Kenneth O’Driscoll, of 1 Ard na Greinne, Courtmacsherry, pleaded guilty to assault of Willamson and was found guilty of violent disorder arising out of the same incident.

John O’Driscoll, of 24 Molaga St, Clonakilty, was found guilty of an assault on Bradley Williamson, who was himself convicted on his guilty plea of trespass likely to cause fear for calling around to the home of Ann O’Driscoll in the early hours of September 2, “looking for an explanation” for the earlier assault by Dylan O’Driscoll on the minor at the school GAA pitch.

Siwek, of 1 the Belfry, Clonakilty, was also convicted of the trespass. Ann O’Driscoll and her daughter, Michelle, both claimed one or both of the young men had bars on the night but gardaí said they found no evidence of that.

CCTV footage shown to the judge captured the later assault on Pearse St, which left Williamson, formerly of Moses Rd in Clonakilty but who now lives in Rosscarbery, with a laceration to the back of his head and a bleeding mouth.

Kenneth O’Driscoll was seen exiting a still-moving vehicle as the fighting got underway.

Defence solicitors had said Dylan, Kenneth, and John O’Driscoll, in the latter’s van, had been driving around Clonakilty looking for another minor who had gone missing and had not been seeking out Williamson for his earlier call to Ann O’Driscoll’s house.

Judge McNulty heard that all five men had previous convictions and solicitor Plunkett Taaffe, representing Kenneth O’Driscoll, said the “elephant in the room” in the case was “a longstanding feud between the two families”.

Garda Jason Cotter confirmed there were tensions between the families but said he hoped the situation would remain calm.

The judge said he was “a little disappointed to hear of a feud” and added that the court operated an “equality policy”.

“Whether you are a Traveller or a settled person, a local or a visitor, Irish or non-national, if you commit serious public order offending in West Cork you are likely to go to prison, and sooner rather than later,” said Judge McNulty.

He remanded all five men to appear again before him on June 4 to deliver penalty and ordered probation reports be prepared for that date.