Warrant issued for arrest of assailant

A violent city centre incident saw a man kneeling on top of another man on the ground and punching him in the head despite the presence of gardaí.

Sgt Michael Morris said yesterday he pulled the assailant away from the injured party and told him to desist. However, the assailant, Keith O’Shea, aged 24, of 9 Glendara Green, Grenagh, Co Cork, shrugged off the attentions of gardaí, returning to kneel on the injured party and to beat him.

“He had to be pepper-sprayed twice and while it had some effect on him he continued to lash out. He was very strong and aggressive and kept trying to get at the man on the ground,” Sgt Morris testified yesterday at Cork District Court.

O’Shea was arrested and for hours refused to give gardaí his name and address.

The injured party did not make a complaint over the Jan 5 incident. O’Shea was charged with being threatening and abusive, resisting Sgt Morris, and being drunk and a source of danger. Judge Leo Malone convicted the accused, who did not appear for the case.

Two suspended jail sentences were hanging over O’Shea. The judge issued a warrant for his arrest.