Cork project manager faces sentencing for breaking colleague’s jaw at work

Injured man tells court he was worried man might do something similar in future

Daniel Rea was effectively the project manager at a site at Carbery Milk Products, in Ballineen, Co Cork.

A project manager who broke a colleague's jaw in a workplace incident has been remanded in custody pending sentencing, with the injured man telling the court he was worried the man might do something similar in future.

Daniel Rea, of 121 Seamus Murphy Place, Mallow, Co Cork, had pleaded guilty at an earlier court hearing to the assault causing harm to Declan O'Flynn in the incident at Carbery Milk Products near Ballineen on July 17, 2019.

Mr Rea, now aged 34, was working for Senator Engineering and the court heard he was effectively the project manager at the site, overseeing the work of up to 20 others.

Judge James McNulty recited some of the evidence heard when the case was heard last September, including how there was a physical altercation in the men's toilets in a portable building on site. 

In the incident, Mr O'Flynn suffered a broken jaw and other injuries, including a cut to his arm and under his eye. 

A medical report had previously been presented to court.

On the previous occasion it had been alleged that Mr O'Flynn had followed Mr Rea into the toilet after the initial disagreement and may have thrown the first punch.

However, Mr O'Flynn, addressing the judge, vehemently denied this in court. He said he did not follow Mr Rea into the toilet, which was the only one in use at the site, and that it was lunchtime when the incident had occurred and there were other people behind him also heading for the facility.

"He waited for me to enter," Mr O'Flynn said, describing what then occurred as a "vicious, cowardly assault".

"I did not retaliate at any stage," Mr O'Flynn told the judge. He said he walked out and later reported the matter to gardaí. He said the assault was unprovoked.

"If justice is not done today I fear he is capable of doing this again," he said. "That is my fear."

Compensation offer

Mr Rea's solicitor, David O'Meara, said his client had paid €12,500 in compensation to Mr O'FLynn and had cooperated fully with gardaí.

Mr Rea had two previous convictions, both for misuse of drugs, dating back to 2010 and 2006, and had been described by his employers as an excellent worker with vast experience. The court heard he had worked for the company since leaving school and had come through the ranks. He is also a father of a young child and is living with his family in Mallow.

"This was a very regrettable incident," Mr O'Meara said. Mr Rea confirmed that he had not reported any injury at the time of the incident but had made a statement to gardaí.

Mr O'Meara said his client was a very respectable member of the community and not a burden on the state in any way.

"My client is a doer, and a hard worker and a decent family man," Mr O'Meara said, adding that Mr Rea had no intention of ever doing anything like this again.

As serious as it gets

Judge McNulty said it was an assault causing harm in a confined space resulting in injuries including a broken jaw. "It is as serious as it gets in the district court," he said.

Convicting Mr Rea, the judge said he wanted to reflect on the case and remanded him in custody for two weeks until June 18 for sentencing, adding that he would consider mitigating factors such as an early guilty plea and the payment of compensation in terms of possibly suspending any sentence.

Judge McNulty told Mr O'Flynn he did not have to attend the next day if he so wished, adding: "It might disappoint you."