Understandable that man struck car that nearly hit his daughter, 4

A judge said a father who struck a woman’s car with a wheel brace in the belief the car had caused injury to his child, reacted in a way that is understandable.

At Ennis District Court, Martin Cawley, 26, pleaded guilty to criminal damage and engaging in threatening and abusive behaviour at a carpark at Ennis National School last November.

Yesterday, Judge Patrick Durcan said Mr Cawley of Lenabeg, Claureen, in Ennis, reacted in a way that was understandable “but was inappropriate”.