No jail for pub glass assault

A man threw a glass across a pub causing injuries to a teenage girl when it smashed and cut her face.

Yesterday, at Cork Circuit Criminal Court, he was given a two-year suspended jail term. Edward Barrett of 6 Mill View Terrace, Dripsey, Co Cork, brought €5,000 in compensation to court for the victim.

Judge Donagh McDonagh made it a condition of the suspension of the sentence he gather another €5,000.

He pleaded not guilty at Cork Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm to the 17-year-old at Treacey’s bar, Ballincollig, Co Cork. A jury found Barrett guilty earlier this month.

Brendan Kelly, defending, said: “This incident was very much out of character and there are glowing reports from his employer. I think the garda is right in characterising it as an assault by recklessness.”

Judge McDonagh said, “This was particularly nasty case from the point of view that the victim was a young girl who was completely and utterly blameless. She was there with her family.

“[A] question was raised about what a 17-year-old was doing there. I think that was unnecessary; she was there with her mother and her family. Quite innocently, she was heading up to the toilet, she was struck with a glass. It is particularly serious for a young girl to end up with facial scarring.

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There was an element of recklessness. The glass was thrown, why I do not understand. He knew what he had done. He said: ‘I didn’t mean to hurt anyone.’ Very easy to be remorseful after the event when he has caused such damage. If you throw a glass you have to accept the consequences.”

Garda Adrian Murphy said the defendant was in a dispute with two men and had not intended to injure the girl. “His actions were more reckless, I don’t think he is a deliberately malicious person,” said Gda Murphy.