Cork man who punched woman apologised on Facebook

A man accused of assaulting a Leaving Cert student by punching her in the face was so full of remorse he went on Facebook to express his apologies to her, the culprit’s solicitor said yesterday.

Lee Pumphrey, aged 21, with an address at Deermount, Deerpark, Friars Walk, Cork, failed to appear at Cork District Court on a number of occasions and he was convicted on a charge of assault causing harm to the 17-year-old girl in the early hours of June 9, 2012.

Diane Hallahan said Pumphrey was extremely down, bordering on depression, after the incident.

“He posted an apology on Facebook to this lady,” Ms Hallahan said yesterday.

Judge Olann Kelleher said: “I will give him one opportunity to turn things around. He can do 240 hours of community service in lieu of six months in prison.”

That offer was on the charge of assault causing harm.

Garda Claire Sheehan testified the incident started in a taxi where there was a verbal dispute between the parties. It then became physical as Pumphrey fought with a young man who intervened. The girl got punched in the face during the incident.

His apology to her on Facebook was read in court. It said: “I know I am the last person you want to hear from right now but I am so so sorry over what happened. I know there’s no excuse for what I did but I was not in my right frame of mind. I would never do something like that sober and I would not blame you for pressing charges.”