Friend jailed for memorial night assault

A stonemason who carried out two unprovoked serious assaults, one of which was on a friend, has been jailed for three and a half years.

Michael Noonan, aged 34, had been at a memorial night for a friend who had been murdered in Australia last September when he punched a glass into Gary Rigley’s face. He then turned to Mr Rigley’s brother Shaun and beat him about the head and face.

Garda Andrew O’Donnell told Cathleen Noctor, prosecuting, that CCTV footage of the incident shows Noonan and Mr Rigley having a conversation before Mr Rigley hugged him twice.