Finglas man jailed for three years for striking man in chest with golf club

A man has been jailed for three years for swinging a golf club into the chest of another male outside his home in the early hours after St Patrick’s Day.

Paul Brannigan, aged 24, was convicted by a jury earlier this month of assaulting Jason Saunders by head- butting him and striking him with a golf club. The victim died shortly after the attack and Brannigan was also charged with manslaughter.

The jury found Brannigan guilty of a further charge of producing an article capable of inflicting serious injury, but failed to reach a verdict on the manslaughter charge.

Brannigan, Ratoath Drive, Finglas, pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the two assault charges, production of an article, and manslaughter at Fassaugh Ave, Cabra West, on March 18, 2014.

Det Sgt Thomas Lynch told the court CCTV footage showed Brannigan head- butting Mr Saunders. Later images showed him with a golf club in his right hand, as his left arm was in a sling.

Det Sgt Lynch told Colm O’Briain, prosecuting, post mortem evidence revealed Mr Saunders had a fracture in his left rib.

Judge Patrick McCartan

imposed a three-year term for the golf club assault, to run concurrently to two years for the head-butt,

to when Brannigan entered custody at the end of the trial.