Contrite attacker asked victim to hit him back

A man who punched another man in the eye in Cork City centre felt so bad afterwards that he invited friends of the victim to hit him back in a misguided effort to make up for his wrongdoing.

Jamie Rice, 23, asked the injured party if he could use his phone. The phone owner, who was home on holiday from England, explained that it was a phone he used in England and was not suitable for use in Ireland.

Rice felt that others in the area were laughing at him and he punched one man and then punched the man with the phone in the eye.

Judge Leo Malone was told that this victim had a history of difficulty with cataracts in the past and had previously undergone a number of surgical procedures. He also avoided contact sports on medical advice.

Inspector Bill Duane said that when gardaí arrived on the scene the visitor from England was bleeding from the right eye and had to be taken to Cork University Hospital.

His victim impact report was handed in to Judge Malone yesterday. In it, the victim stated that he could not see properly after the assault, was terrified about the possible impact, and was left feeling even more cautious as a result of the assault.

Rice, of 26 Clarke’s Rd, Ballyphehane, pleaded guilty to the charge of assault causing harm to the man on December 23, 2014.

Eddie Burke, solicitor, said Rice was absolutely ashamed of what he did, so much so that he remained at the scene afterwards and wanted the victim’s friends to assault him on the basis that he deserved to be hit.

Judge Leo Malone put sentencing in his case back to March 7, 2016 , to give Rice a chance to gather €2,500 as a gesture of compensation to the injured party.