Trawler assault man is fined

A FISHERMAN who was afraid he’d miss the tide cut a confrontation short on the pier by head-butting another man and yesterday the skipper was convicted of assault.

Judge Thomas Fitzpatrick rejected the claim by Stephen Hyde of Four Winds, Weaver’s Point, Crosshaven, Co Cork, that the injured party was the one who tried to head-butt him and that this misfired to such an extent that he injured himself.

The injured party, Aiden Coniry, is a former partner of Hyde’s sister and the judge noted that there was a domestic background to the incident.

“I would take the view that Mr Coniry was somewhat agitated on the occasion. He then saw his former partner’s brother going to his trawler to go fishing.

“Mr Hyde was confronted by Mr Coniry. I would say that Mr Hyde was in a hurry to get out and would have missed the day fishing. He was being impeded by Mr Coniry. Then in his impatience I think he (Hyde) did head-butt Mr Coniry to get on with his day’s fishing.

“It was quite a serious injury. Probably Mr Coniry brought a lot of it on himself, indeed he brought it all on himself,” the judge said.

In the circumstances, he fined Hyde €200 and ordered him to pay €180 for Mr Coniry’s expenses.