Two samaritans injured trying to help woman

A motorist and a pizza parlour proprietor who came to the assistance of a woman on the street ended up being attacked by the man who was with her.

Adam O’Keeffe, who had been living between the Simon and St Vincent’s hostels in Cork at the time, was yesterday jailed after he pleaded guilty to two charges of assault causing harm to the men.

Inspector Adrian Gamble said on May 23, 2016, Garda Sheena Dowling and Sergeant Jason Wallace received a call about an altercation at The Rock Bar on Gilabbey St. Gardaí stopped opposite Amori pizza parlour.

O’Keeffe, aged 25, was seen standing over a woman who was lying on the footpath. The proprietor of the pizza outlet Emanuel Ferreri was bleeding from the nose.

O’Keeffe fled from gardaí but they stopped him half way down Gilabbey St.

Insp Gamble said: “On stopping Mr O’Keeffe, he resisted gardaí by attempting to lash out and obstruct them from their duties. He was roaring and shouting obscenities at the gardaí.”

Garda Dowling found that O’Keeffe was highly intoxicated, there was a strong smell of alcohol from him and his behaviour was both violent and aggressive.

“On being handcuffed, Mr O’Keeffe continued resisting gardaí by putting his hands underneath his body so that handcuffs could not be placed on him. He continued to obstruct gardaí by placing his legs up against the back of the personnel carrier.”

The woman withdrew her complaint so there was no prosecution of the accused on that count.

O’Keeffe pleaded guilty to charges of assault causing harm to Patrick Murphy and Mr Ferreri, who had intervened to protect the woman during the incidents occurring earlier.

Mr Murphy was driving by and he stopped his car and got out in an attempt to protect the woman. O’Keeffe reacted by punching the motorist in the throat. Mr Ferreri left his pizza outlet, also in an attempt to protect the woman. O’Keeffe reacted by punching him in the face causing his nose to bleed.

Eddie Burke, solicitor, said the accused was putting his time in prison to good use. He has been in prison in relation to other matters since June 2016 and undertaking educational courses and attending addiction counsellors.