Plumber who offered €500 'for bating a fella around Kinsale' ups compensation to €2k

When the sum of €500 was first mentioned in court, Judge Ó Donnabháin had asked: “Is that by way of compensation or aggravation? A plumber is only less well remunerated than a brain surgeon

Tue, 28 Sep, 2021 - 10:07

Liam Heylin

An apprentice plumber has avoided jail after coming up with €2,000 for the man he assaulted – in a case where the judge said plumbers were second only to surgeons in the earnings stakes.

The man first came up with €500 which Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin said was not nearly enough.

Yesterday he returned to court with a further €1,500 compensation. The judge was reminded that the man was only an apprentice plumber and that he had been out of work recently due to a knee injury.

Suspended sentence

In all the circumstances, the judge said he would impose a suspended 18-month sentence.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin imposed that sentence at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on Josh Arnopp for assault causing harm.

When the sum of €500 was first mentioned in court, Judge Ó Donnabháin had asked: “Is that by way of compensation or aggravation? A plumber is only less well remunerated than a brain surgeon.

“€500 for bating a fella around the road in Kinsale — not on. I have no idea what is going through his (defendant’s) mind. He must have known what was going to happen."

The judge said the incident has had a big impact on the victim.

“The victim takes a very serious view of what happened. His confidence is shattered. It is not a pleasant thing to have yourself clattered around Kinsale. The man who was assaulted deserves to be compensated, not insulted.”

Arnopp, of An Guagan, Barrack Street, Kinsale, Co Cork, pleaded guilty to a charge of assault causing harm to the other man at Short Quay in the town on January 26, 2020.

Socialising

Garda Fergal Dowling said the injured party was out socialising with his girlfriend. The defendant was out since 3 that afternoon watching a Liverpool match on TV. Arnopp said he had eight pints but was not legless.

The 24-year-old defendant alleged to gardaí that the injured party called him names and there was some dispute about the nature of the exchanges between them.