Former Cork City FC player warned to keep away from bad company or face jail

Former Cork City FC player failed to be compliant with direction of probation service, but judge told this was due to a brain injury as a result of an assault

Hassan Baker: Previously played for Cork City FC.

A promising young soccer player, who was previously with Cork City FC, was warned that he would have to comply with the directions of the probation service and keep away from bad company if he wanted to stay out of jail.

Hassan Baker, of MacCurtain Villas, off Bandon Road, Cork, appeared before Cork Circuit Appeals Court where the probation service re-entered the case in which he had a six-month suspended sentence hanging over him.

Judge Helen Boyle was told that the accused had not been compliant with the direction of the probation service. However, probation officer, Deirdre Coakley, said it was acknowledged that the accused had been the victim of a very serious assault in March and this had affected his ability to comply with the terms of the suspension of the sentence.

Hassan Baker was convicted at Cork District Court on a number of public order charges and sentenced to a total of six months in prison. That was on charges of engaging in threatening behaviour and obstruction of gardaí on July 1, 2021. He was also sentenced for failing to appear in court for his case.

That sentence of six months was suspended at Cork Circuit Appeals Court. The terms of the suspension required that he would comply with direction of the probation service and attend at Ais Éirí.

The matter was re-entered in light of his failure to comply with those conditions.

Judge Boyle said: “I recall the case. You were a good footballer. You played for Cork City.

“But if you do not comply with the probation service, I will have no option but to send you to prison.”

Defence barrister, Jessica Kelleher, said: “He is attending a neurologist. He sustained a brain injury which affected his ability to appreciate the gravity of the situation in which he finds himself.”

State solicitor, Frank Nyhan, agreed with the submission that the accused had sustained a serious injury in March. “This man suffered quite significant impairment as a result of the assault,” Mr Nyhan said.

Judge Boyle said: “I am sorry to hear that.”

Ms Coakley said one of her main concerns was that the accused would undertake to stop associating with people who are having a detrimental effect on his own behaviour. The young man agreed to give that undertaking at the appeal court.

The judge put the matter back until February 9, 2023. Depending on the information before the court on that date the six-month sentence will remain suspended or it will be activated.