Unprovoked Halloween assault may cost €10k

A Halloween assault where the victim had his jaw broken is set to cost the assailant €10,000.

The man who carried out the unprovoked assault brought more compensation to Cork Circuit Criminal Court yesterday bringing the total to €7,200.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabáin acknowledged that the defendant had been doing well since the assault on Halloween night two years ago but he said he would put sentencing back until June for him to continue to stay out of trouble and to see if “the magical figure of €10,000” can be achieved for the injured party.

“If he gets into trouble in the meantime it will go very badyly for him,” the judge said yesterday.

Sentencing of Gary Dennehy, 27, of 53 Woodlawn Road, Togher, Cork, was adjourned until June 7. He previously pleaded guilty to the charge of assault causing harm to the man at Bandon Road on November 1 2017, The injured party was walking home from a party with friends when he rushed to his girlfriend’s assistance as he saw another man – not before the court - hoist her up on his shoulder. But when he tried to intervene, Gary Dennehy assaulted him from behind.

The injured party had to have two metal plates inserted in his jaw as a result of the severity of the injury, Detective Garda Gordon Crowley said at an earlier hearing.

The injured party hoped he would be able to move on and forget about it but he was left with ongoing symptoms following a night where he wasn’t trying to provoke anything and was just protecting his girlfriend on the way home.

Brendan Kelly defence barrister said the accused addressed his drink problem, stayed out of trouble, gathered compensation and worked hard since the incident.