Farmer assaulted man after being outbid at cattle mart

Noel O’Regan of Lissaphooka, Kilbrittain in Co Cork struck John Lordan 'a number of times' after Mr O’Regan lost out on a bid for cattle.

 A farmer outbid at a cattle mart assaulted another man who had disclosed that he had spoken about the specific lot to someone else.

Noel O’Regan of Lissaphooka, Kilbrittain in Co Cork struck John Lordan "a number of times" and also verbally abused him on March 29 of last year, arising out of Mr O’Regan losing out on a bid for cattle at Skibbereen Mart some weeks previously.

Bandon District Court heard that Mr O’Regan, 48, was pleading guilty to the simple assault on Mr Lordan, who was known to him, with a separate public order charge withdrawn.

Sgt Paul Kelly told Judge John King that on May 25 last year, Mr Lordan went to Kilbrittain Garda Station and alleged that he had been assaulted by Mr O’Regan, who was known to him, at his farm.

“Apparently it was as a result over bidding on cattle at a local mart in Skibbereen some weeks previously,” Sgt Kelly said.

'Extremely shaken'

The court heard that Mr Lordan — who declined at invitation to attend court or provide a victim impact statement — was “extremely shaken” by the assault and the threatening words which followed, Sgt Kelly said.

Mr O’Regan’s solicitor, Plunkett Taaffe, told the judge that his client had previously mentioned to Mr Lordan that he would be bidding on a particular lot at the mart but he was ultimately outbid by someone else.

On the day of the incident, Mr O’Regan had a “casual” encounter with Mr Lordan while en route to taking a machinery part to another farmer, and was asked if he could help in moving cattle. In the course of that exchange, the matter of the bidding at the mart arose.

“Mr Lordan had told, inadvertently or otherwise, someone else,” Mr Taaffe said of the bidding at the mart.

“That person had outbid him.

“One word led to another and he did strike out at him.” Mr Taaffe said there had been no further communication between the two men and no intention to communicate, and that Mr O’Regan apologised in court for what had occurred.

“It was isolated — it is not going to happen again,” Mr Taaffe said, adding that his client was “under a lot of pressure” at the time.

Sgt Kelly said that when asked about the court proceedings Mr Lordan had said “he just wanted to be left alone”.

Judge King observed that the injured party had waited some time before contacting gardaí. He heard that Mr O’Regan was a truck driver and farmer who had one previous conviction, of driving with an excess load, dating back to 2005.

Judge King gave Mr O’Regan the benefit of the Probation Act with Mr O’Regan making a €500 contribution to the court poor box.

“The reason I am doing that is I do not expect to see him again,” the judge said.