Court hears assault of woman in Cork City was a case of mistaken identity

Selina Regazzoli. Picture: Instagram

A man has been remanded in custody after he was charged with assaulting a woman in Cork city centre last Thursday in what the court was told was a case of mistaken identity.

Conor Greaney, 25, with an address on Farranferris Avenue, Farranree, on the northside of Cork city, was brought before a special sitting of Cork District Court on Saturday afternoon where he faced a single charge of assault causing harm to Selina Regazzoli on Oliver Plunkett St in Cork city centre on March 7 last, contrary to Section 3 of the Non Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997.

Giving evidence as gardaí objected to bail, Mr Greaney said: “I feel terrible. I’m disgusted with myself. I’m not a monster. I didn’t intend to go as hard as I did or break bones.” 

Garda Orla Moriarty, who is based at Anglesea St Garda Station, gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution.

She told Judge Mary Dorgan that Mr Greaney presented himself at the Bridewell Garda Station at 1.41pm on Friday and was charged just before 6pm with a single charge of assault, and made no reply when the charge was to put to him.

Outlining the garda objections to bail, she said the alleged victim was walking along Oliver Plunkett St at around 9.40am on Thursday when she was approached, and struck on the side of her face, causing her to fall and injure her ankle.

It was later confirmed in hospital that she had dislocated and fractured her right ankle.

Gda Moriarty described the alleged incident as an entirely unprovoked attack on an innocent 35-year-old woman who was walking to work.

She said the entire incident was captured on CCTV and a suspect was identified through the use of CCTV footage.

She told Judge Dorgan that Mr Greaney made full admissions during questioning and admitted that Ms Regazzoli was not the intended target.

Gda Moriarty said while the alleged victim does not live in Cork, she does have a large social media following and gardaí had concerns that the accused may seek to interfere with her, and may also try to injure the intended target.

She also said that Mr Greaney is no longer welcome at his home address.

The judge was also told later that the initial option of Mr Greaney staying at his grandfather’s former home was now no longer an option.

Mr Greaney took to the witness box where his legal representative, Elaine Audley, pointed out to the judge that he had presented voluntarily at the garda station, that he had been cooperative with investigating gardaí, that he does not know the injured party and would not seek to interfere with her.

He said: “I was on my way to being a very good bricklayer but my grandfather’s death just broke me really. I didn't mean for it to go as far as it did. It was meant to more or less frighten the person.” 

Drug use

During questioning by Inspector Dave Noonan, Mr Greaney said he relapsed into drug use following the death just days before last Christmas of his grandfather, who had helped raise him and whom he described as “the most important person in my life”, and was now addicted to cocaine and benzodiazepines.

He said while he had been attending meetings of narcotics anonymous, it wasn’t working and he planned to address his drug addiction by seeking further help, including counselling and trying to secure a place in a residential treatment centre.

Judge Dorgan said she had listened carefully but given the nature of the evidence in support of the charge, she felt she had no option but to remand the accused in custody, to appear before the court again by video link on March 14.