Man punched his female neighbour in the stomach

A man who punched a female neighbour in the stomach outside her front door was convicted of assault yesterday and ordered to undergo assessment for anger management.

Costica Coker, aged 47, of 57 Orchard Court, Blackpool, Cork, denied the charge of assaulting his neighbour, Rachel Sheehan.

Insp Vincent O’Sullivan said CCTV of the incident clearly showed the accused punching her in the stomach and going beyond anything that could be regarded as self-defence.

“You were after losing the head at this stage?” the inspector suggested.

Coker said: “She hit me with a closed fist. I just pushed her so she don’t hit me again. I didn’t hit her, I just pushed her away, not in the stomach, in the hips.”

Ms Sheehan said she was outside her house on the afternoon of November 25, 2016, when Coker came at her with his fists up. She said she put her open hand up to his face. She said that she got a Garda caution for assault and accepted her part in that aspect of the incident.

However, she said he then punched her in the stomach.

Garda Graham Desmond took a cautioned memo from Coker in which he blamed another person for provoking him and giving him two-fingered gestures.

Coker told his solicitor, Joseph Cuddigan, that he did not call his neighbour names or assault her. Judge Marie Keane convicted Coker of assaulting Ms Sheehan and noted he had previous assault convictions.

“This was a very unseemly and very unneighbourly way to behave. He left down a bag and walked towards Ms Sheehan with clear intent.

“From his demeanour, dropping his shoulders, Mr Coker meant business. Ms Sheehan must have felt in some way threatened.

“She has accepted responsibility for her part in the incident but it is clear Mr Coker lashed out at Ms Sheehan, not just once but having approached her and made contact with her he made a boxing movement, his feet moving like those of a boxer as he sought to contain her against the wall of her own property. It was threatening and intimidating.”

The judge put sentencing back for two months to allow time for a probation report to address issues including anger management.