A MAN who “cowardly” punched and kicked a defenceless man in the head while he was on the ground has walked free from court with a fully suspended three-year sentence.
Paddy Philips (22), with an address at Lower Maiden Street, Newcastle West, County Limerick, pleaded guilty on April 17 last to assaulting Colin Ambrose causing him harm outside the Strand Bar, Newcastle West, around 3am on February 5, 2023.
Security camera footage from the pub was key in the State’s prosecution of Phillips, who it was heard initially tried to deflect blame on others when interviewed by Gardaí after his arrest.
He sniggered during his sentencing hearing at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court as senior prosecution counsel, Lily Buckley SC, informed the court that Philips told Gardaí he thought the victim had been in a fight with a number of girls outside the pub on the night.
CCTV footage played in court showed Philips punching Mr Ambrose twice in the head, along with Mr Ambrose falling backwards onto the street and Philips walking away.
The footage showed Philips returning to the scene moments later and kicking Mr Ambrose into the head while he was lying on the street.
Mr Ambrose, who was hospitalised after the attack, told Gardaí he had been socialising at the pub but that he had no memory of how he was injured. The court heard that Mr Ambrose had attended University Hospital Kerry with a fast heart rate, two black eyes, head pain, and a laceration to his nose.
Medical reports stated Mr Ambrose suffered “multiple mid-facial fractures” which required surgery.
The court heard Mr Ambrose remains on a HSE public waiting list for surgery.
When Philips was arrested in February 2023, he told Gardaí he had been at the pub on the night in question and had consumed seven or more double Vodka and Red Bull drinks.
Philips claimed Mr Ambrose was making inappropriate comments about his family and to his girlfriend in the pub, and that he had told him to go away.
Philips also claimed a number of females had argued with the victim outside the pub, and that the victim was looking for a fight with him, but CCTV footage did not support these claims.
After Gardaí showed Philips CCTV footage of the assault, he admitted he had kicked Mr Ambrose in the head after punching him twice.
The court heard Philips had 16 previous convictions, including 11 for road traffic offences; two for public disorder; one for possession of drugs for sale or supply, for which he received a 12-month probation order; and one for possession of drugs, for which he received another 12-month probation order.
Philips’ barrister, Kenneth Keirns BL, asked the court not to impose an immediate custodial sentence on Philips and provided the court with a letter of apology his cilent had written to the victim.
Judge Dermot Sheehan said Mr Ambrose suffered “significant injuries” and “was helpless to protect himself” on the night.
“He (Mr Ambrose) was hit twice into the face by the accused, who returned and administered a full force kick into the head of Colin Ambrose,” the judge said.
“It was extraordinarily cowardly on the part of Paddy Philips, and no words could justify what occurred here.”
Judge Sheehan said “something went wrong” on the night, and it appeared there had been “some form of drunken interchange” between parties.
“I’m treating it as an isolated incident in his (Philips’) life. It is with some reluctance that I will suspend the sentence in its entirety,” the judge said.
Reducing the sentence from five years to three, which he fully suspended, Judge Sheehan ordered Philips to keep the peace and not reoffend for three years and to pay €2,000 compensation to Mr Ambrose, which he had brought with him to court.
