Man punched in face over comment to woman in pub

A man was punched in the face in the toilet of a Cork City pub after allegedly making an insulting comment to another man’s wife.

The assault was described as a case of a man taking the law into his own hands.

Ian O’Sullivan, aged 34, of 3 Knockpogue Avenue, Fairhill, Cork pleaded guilty at Cork District Court yesterday to a charge of assault causing harm to George O’Neill, 45, from the Deerpark area of Cork.

Inspector Bill Duane said George O’Neill entered the toilet at the Old Oak on Oliver Plunkett Street, Cork, and was followed by Ian O’Sullivan, who kicked in the door and punched George O’Neill in the face causing him three injuries to his face including a black eye. He was also bleeding from a scrape to his face. He did not require medical attention, the inspector said.

O’Sullivan admitted carrying out the assault but claimed the injured party had called his wife an insulting name.

Frank Buttimer, solicitor, said there was a context for the assault where O’Sullivan’s wife had been out socialising with female friends and that Mr O’Neill, with whom she had a passing acquaintance, had some interaction with the group before O’Sullivan arrived.

“There may have been some verbal impropriety of which the accused later became aware. He then challenged the injured party,” Mr Buttimer said.

Judge Tim Lucey said that even assuming that there was an inappropriateness to the comment, it was the appropriateness of the response which concerned him. The judge said the defendant did not ask the injured party to step outside but by the prosecution version he followed him into the toilet and attacked him, something the injured party would not have expected.

Mr Buttimer said his client thought it was appropriate to pursue the matter in the toilet out of public view. Judge Lucey said: “I don’t accept that.”

The judge also remarked about the charge which was one of section 3 of the Non-fatal Offences Against the Person Act: “Words are very different to actions. People say words all the time but it does not necessarily lead to a section 3 assault.”

Mr Buttimer replied: “He reacted wrongly to a provocative event and took the law into his own hands.”

The defendant brought €500 to court as a gesture of apology to the injured party.

Judge Lucey said in light of that payment and the absence of any previous convictions he was prepared to dismiss the assault charge under the Probation of Offenders Act.