Jailed for ‘traumatising’ unprovoked assaults

A man has been jailed after two unprovoked assaults which left three people “traumatised”.

Anthony Cronin, aged 44, of 5 The Mills, Skibbereen, Co Cork, punched one man in the doorway of a bank as he and his wife waited for a taxi.

Within minutes, he then assaulted a 67-year-old man, again unknown to him, and kicked him while he was on the ground.

Cronin was arrested and obstructed gardaí, including headbutting the window of a Garda vehicle and aiming a kick at one officer after he complained his handcuffs were too tight.

All the offences took place on December 28 last.

A sitting of Skibbereen District Court heard yesterday that Cronin, who has recently been working as a machine driver, went out for dinner earlier in the evening and that at around 12.30am was walking down High St in the town, passing where the couple were waiting at the doorway of a bank for a taxi.

The court heard that he mumbled something before aiming a punch at the man’s face. The man was not injured, but his wife was shaken by the episode, Judge James McNulty heard.

Two gardaí took details from the couple before searching for the assailant. When driving through the square in Skibbereen they saw Cronin punching and kicking a 67-year-old man. The victim sustained cuts to his face and legs and was bloodied by the assault.

Once he was arrested, Cronin was verbally abusive and “extremely difficult to deal with”, said Supt Ger O’Mahony, prosecuting.

The court heard Cronin had 10 previous convictions, including five for assault, and received a prison term for assault in Skibbereen in February 2011, which was later suspended.

His solicitor, Colette McCarthy, said she knew him personally, that he was married, and had absolutely no recollection of the events of that night. He pleaded guilty to the charges.

He also offered €500 in compensation to the first man he punched and €1,000 to the pensioner who was assaulted.

The judge

sentenced Cronin to four months for the first assault; eight months for the assault on the 67-year-old; and four months for obstructing gardaí — to be served concurrently.