Man fined for role in assault

THE brother of a garda who received a suspended jail sentence for assaulting a man in Cork city following a jibe about a “gay shirt” has been fined €500 for the much smaller role that he played in the incident.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said there was no question of a jail sentence for Travis Foley, aged 27, of Tradeen, Knocknasuff, Blarney, Co Cork, for assaulting Stephen Gerard Murphy at Grand Parade, Cork, on September 12, 2009.

Dean Foley, also of Tradeen, Knocknasuff, who was stationed at Bantry, Co Cork, was given an 18-month suspended sentence in May on the charge of assault causing harm to Stephen Gerard Murphy on the same date.

Travis Foley pleaded guilty not to a charge of assault causing him but to a charge of assault.

Judge Ó Donnabháin accepted that the part played by Travis Foley was to push Mr Murphy twice to the ground and that Mr Murphy was not injured during this. His injuries were suffered when he was assaulted by Dean Foley as he walked away from the incident.

However, the judge said Travis Foley’s guilty plea came at the last possible moment. He said a €500 fine was appropriate.