'Good Samaritan' in Co Waterford beaten after he stopped to help stranger

Man jailed for attack on victim, who lost several teeth and sustained lasting damage to his vision and hearing

The accused said he feels 'constant remorse' for his actions that night.

A man has been jailed for three years after he waved a stranger down on the side of the road to ask him for help, but then dealt him a "severe beating", knocking out several of his teeth and leaving him with lasting damage to his vision and hearing.

Michael Delaney, from Barrett Place, who had 99 previous convictions, said he feels "constant" remorse for his actions, and put forward €7,000 in compensation for Zolt Tomasky, who the judge described as a "good Samaritan" who was "abused for his kindness" in the incident.

Delaney, a 35-year-old married father of four, pleaded guilty at the Circuit Criminal Court in Waterford.

Garda Sharon Ryan of Portlaw Garda Station told the court that she received a call on June 21 last year around 5pm that two men were fighting, she arrived at the scene in Kilmeaden to find the victim bleeding from his face.

The court heard that Zolt Tomasky, a bus driver who was off duty and out for a drive at the time, had stopped his Saab car after seeing the guilty man and an unnamed woman by the road beside an apparently broken-down car.

However, the situation turned and Mr Tomasky was "repeatedly punched" to his head and body, as the accused then made off with the Saab before later being apprehended.

Delaney refused to take a breathalyser test, the court heard, and was disqualified from driving at the time.

In a victim impact statement read out by Judge Eugene O'Kelly, Mr Tomasky pointed to "pain and shock" experienced after the assault, which has left him unable to sleep and with his ears ringing:

His life has been changed and he doesn't feel safe anymore.

Mitigating factors included Delaney's early guilty plea and his €7,000 compensation. 

Mr Justice O'Kelly said he found a letter from the man to be "quite poignant", telling the court Delaney felt he was a "different lad with drink and drugs in him" and that he was trying to mend his ways.

He "feels constantly bad" for the attack on Mr Tomasky and expressed remorse for the effect it has had on his own family.

The judge sentenced him to six years for the seizure of the car, later reducing it by two due to mitigating factors and finally suspending the final year of the sentence for 12 months. 

A four-year jail term was issued for the assault, reduced by one year.

The judge disqualified Delaney from driving for eight years.

A series of five-month sentences were also dealt for Delaney not having insurance or a licence at the time, and his refusal to take a breathalyser test.

He backdated the sentence to when Delaney entered custody, which was last October 27.