A CASUAL conversation with a girl in a night club about a trip to Australia, led to a IT graduate being hospitalised after he was attacked by three men who broke his jaw, a court has heard.
James O’Donnell of Reens Pike, Ardagh, County Limerick was on a night out, his first after several weekends working when he was the victim of a vicious attack at the Square, Newcastle West on July 12, 2014.
Charged with violent disorder and assault causing harm, Cathal O’Brien (23) of 13 The Cross, Ardagh; Dennis Permanickis (27) of Ballaughbehy, Abbeyfeale and Shane Kelly (22) of Ballaugh, Abbeyfeale admitted their involvement in the attack after a brief encounter at Club Mission earlier in the night.
Limerick Circuit Court heard that the victim had just finished college and worked in the Odeon Cinemas and did so most weekends.
“I was rostered off work that weekend and was due to go to the Munster final, it was my first Friday off in ages,” the victim had said to Gardai.
The court heard that the victim said he was casually talking to a girl at Club Mission night club after he heard she recently returned from Australia.
After a brief encounter with one of the accused, James O’Donnell left the night club and phoned a friend as he walked to the Square.
The three men encountered the victim a short time later, tripped him and began kicking and punching him as he lay on the ground.
In his victim impact statement, Mr O’Donnell said “I ended up in hospital for five days, I had three lots of stitches in my head and my jaw was broken.
“I needed neck surgery and my jaw was wired up for six weeks. I couldn’t eat solid food for ages and I had just graduated so I couldn’t present for interview for my field of study that I had just graduated in.
The court heard that the victim still undergoes medical treatment and he still suffers numbness in his lip and has a damaged tear duct.
“I had to give up playing football and I get nervous on my own”.
Judge O’Donnell heard that the three accused men were all interviewed in the aftermath and made admissions in Garda interview.
John O’Sullivan, defending, said the that in a statement made afterwards by Dennis Permanickis it was the “perception that some strange fella was chancing my girlfriend”.
The court heard that all three of the defendants had brought with them €2,000 in cash as “expression of remorse”.
However, Judge O’Donnell said that this was a “very callous and cowardly attack by the three accused.
“It was an attack on an innocent person extremely exposed and who was on his own and afraid something was going to happen and unfortunately it did.
“What played out on the night was extremely serious and led to the three accused being brought to court on charges of assault and violent disorder.
Judge O’Donnell said that it was “of most concern that the victim still had ongoing medical issues”.
Adjourning the matter to October 4 next, Judge O’Donnell ordered that a further €1,000 be paid be each of the men to the injured party and that “it would be without any prejudice to any other legal rights or entitlements.”
