Men’s teeth were knocked out in unprovoked assaults in Cork

Two men had their teeth knocked out by a young man in the course of unprovoked assaults in Mahon and Passage West.

Judge Olann Kelleher said that dental work was going to cost one of the victims €5,000 and that the culprit, Paul Murphy, aged 20, would want to be coming up compensation if he was to avoid a jail term.

Judge Kelleher gave that warning at Cork District Court yesterday to Murphy, who had addresses at 26 Ravensdale Road, Mahon, Cork, and at 8 Carrigmahon, Monkstown, Co Cork.

When the cases came before the court yesterday — having been adjourned a number of months earlier for compensation — defence solicitor Shane Collins-Daly said, “Unfortunately, he is not in a position to raise compensation.”

Inspector Foster said the victims of both assaults lost teeth.

The first incident occurred on December 7, 2013, at a house in Ravensdale in Mahon.

Inspector Foster said that a number of people were drinking together when Murphy said something and the injured party simply asked what he had said as he had not heard him.

Murphy punched him in the face knocking out his front tooth and bursting his lip.

The second incident commenced at a licensed premises in Passage West on March 6, 2015.

Murphy got into an altercation and he had to be restrained at the premises while someone called the defendant’s father to come to the pub.

Inspector Foster said the accused even punched his own father.

Later as the defendant was walking along the street in Passage West, he punched a young man on the street.

This injured party required €5,000 worth of dental work as a result of his injuries.

Judge Kelleher said Murphy was facing jail unless he addressed the issues of remorse and compensation.

Murphy said: “I am very sorry for what I did. I did not mean to do what I did.”

He said that if he had a few months he would come up with compensation.

Judge Kelleher imposed an overall sentence of six months suspended to cover a number of charges and adjourned sentencing on the assault causing harm charge where the victim was left with the €5,000 dental bill.