Man assaulted ex’s partner with keys as he sat in car

A jockey sitting in his car in Cork City centre had his car keys snatched from him and was then assaulted about the face and head with the bunch of keys to such an extent he had to be removed by ambulance to hospital.

The attacker then threw the keys into the River Lee and walked away.

Jordan Horgan, of 13 Valebrook, Ballyvolane, Cork, pleaded guilty yesterday to a charge of assault causing harm to Stephen O’Donovan on December 11, 2013.

Sergeant Seamus O’Sullivan gave evidence on the assault at Cork District Court yesterday.

Sgt O’Sullivan said the injured party said he was hit and kicked in the head and was struck in the head with the keys of his car.

The injured party was in a relationship with Horgan’s ex-partner. When she went to phone gardaí Horgan took her phone and also threw that in the river.

Judge Olann Kelleher sentence him to six months.

Defence solicitor, Michael Quinlan, emphasised the fact that the incident dated back to December 2013, when things were not great between the parties.

Judge Olann Kelleher said: “This was a vicious assault. This man who was minding his own business was viciously assaulted.”

When Mr Quinlan asked the judge to suspend the sentence Judge Kelleher said it was too serious for that.