
Mercedes driver who attacked motorist said he was angry after social welfare cut
Henrikas Savickas, 43, had denied assault causing harm to Gregory Murphy at Kevin Street Lower, on November 23 last, but was found guilty at Dublin District Court. Pic Collins Courts
A "stressed" Mercedes driver, angered by a social welfare cut, attacked another shocked motorist who had just let him merge into "bumper-to-bumper" Dublin city centre traffic, a court has heard.
Henrikas Savickas, 43, had denied assault causing harm to Gregory Murphy at Kevin Street Lower, on November 23 last, but was found guilty by Judge Michele Finan at Dublin District Court yesterdaY.
She noted that Lithuanian-born Savickas of Park West Pointe, Ballyfermot, Dublin had no prior convictions and now works as a warehouse manager. He apologised after the verdict.
Judge Finan said he let his anger get the better of him over the social welfare issue but held that he could be spared a criminal record and a sentence if he brought €2,000 to court for Mr Murphy, who suffered a painful cut lip and swelling after the attack.
At the end of the hearing, Mr Murphy told the court, "I accept the apology. We all have days like that, and I wish him luck in the future."
Mr. Murphy said he had been driving at around 11:20 am in bumper-to-bumper traffic as lanes merged and noticed Savickas's car trying to force its way in front of him.
Henrikas Savickas, 43, had denied assault causing harm to Gregory Murphy at Kevin Street Lower, on November 23 last, but was found guilty at Dublin District Court. Pic Collins Courts
Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 19th
There was no room, but he let Savickas's Mercedes come in front of his own.
He recounted that the accused then got out, and he thought he must have been getting something from the boot of his car.
Mr Murphy said he had his car window open.
Savickas came up to him and delivered "a significant punch" through the window, leaving him "in shock and pain," before he walked back to his own car.
Mr Murphy called gardaí, who advised him to get a picture of the defendant's car, which he did.
He went to the nearest station within minutes, and pictures were taken of his facial injury. He told the court that there was also swelling, and he could not eat for a few days.
The victim also changed his role in work that involved driving as a result of the encounter with Savickas.
Garda Katie Burke spoke to him minutes later and saw the wound.
In cross-examination with defence counsel Barry Lysaght, he denied that he had been gesticulating at the accused.
That was part of the defence when Savickas testified and said that while he had used colourful language, he was adamant he had not hit Mr Murphy.
However, Judge Finan did not accept that version.
His barrister said his client, who has lived in Ireland for 20 years, was going through stress over his social welfare payment getting cut, but has since obtained employment.
Judge Finan praised Mr Murphy for his refreshing candour and told him he had done the right thing in going to the gardaí. She also noted that the accused had not come to further Garda attention and that the prosecuting officer liked to think that "things got the better of him that day"
The case was adjourned until October 31.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Irish Examiner
5 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Trespasser who took 'every bit of independence' from vulnerable pensioner has jail term doubled
A trespasser who entered a vulnerable 88-year-old man's home, taking "every bit of independence" from him, has had his original jail term doubled, despite appealing to the judge for a lower sentence. The appeal court heard that Gerry Cash, aged 33, with an address at Tombrack, Ferns, Co Wexford, left the vulnerable pensioner, who has short-term memory loss, in a distressed state after entering his Co Kildare house. Cash was convicted in the district court of trespassing on a building in a manner that causes or is likely to cause fear in another person contrary to section 13 (1) of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act, 1994. He was sentenced to nine months in custody with the final six months suspended and later lodged an appeal against his conviction. However his defence counsel, Asma Saleh BL, informed the court on Monday that the case would proceed by appealing the severity of sentence only and the prosecuting garda's evidence was not contested. The offence Garda Padraig Murphy told the District Court Appeals Court that gardaí got a report on February 22, 2023, from the daughter of the injured party. He said that a neighbour alerted her that they saw a white van outside her father's house and that a man knocked on the window and the door of the house. Garda Murphy said that the man was heard shouting 'I've got you that' before entering the house. He said that the neighbour saw the man in the sitting room and he later left the property in his van. Gda Murphy said that the victim was left 'very shaken and pale' after the incident. The garda said that the man was in the care of his daughters, who left him alone for one hour a day. He said this had never happened to the man before and he had no memory of the incident due to his memory loss difficulties. Garda Murphy said that CCTV was obtained and shared with gardaí allowing Cash to be identified, arrested and detained. He said that in the interview, Cash admitted to being at the scene and leaving a calling card. He was charged with trespassing and was convicted in the district court. Ms Saleh said that Cash is 'extremely remorseful' for his actions and that he is aware it was bad behaviour. She said that her client's doctor reports that he suffers from anxiety, depression and low mood swings. She also said that his wife is currently pregnant after a long time in IVF treatment. Victim impact statement The daughter of the injured party gave a victim impact statement, telling the court that she is her father's full-time carer and that he used to have one hour on his own. She said when she came into her father's house that day he didn't know what had happened and was very pale. She said that he shook as she showered him and he was very upset. She said: 'That man took every bit of independence from my father'. She said that her father worked all of his life and he 'didn't deserve for that to happen to him'. Ruling Judge Dara Hayes said that the court had the power to increase the appellant's jail sentence as well as decreasing it on appeal. He said that the original sentence of nine months in custody with the final six months suspended was 'lenient under the circumstances'. He said that it was clear from the injured party's reaction that he was put in a position of some distress. The judge said that whatever independence the man had was taken away and that the injured party was entitled to be unmolested in his own home. Judge Hayes decided to keep the sentence of the district court of nine months in custody but only suspended the final three months. This represents an increase from an effective three months in custody in the original sentencing, to six months in custody after appeal. He said that he would suspend the final three months for the period of 12 months on the condition that Cash keeps the peace and does not contact the injured party or his family again.


Irish Daily Mirror
7 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Jail for drunk driver who couldn't remember how he ended up in different county
A Co Wexford man who couldn't remember how he ended up drunk behind the wheel of a car at the other end of the country has been jailed for a total of eight months and put off the road for 10 years. Father-of-four Martin O'Brien appeared before Letterkenny District Court in Co Donegal charged with a number of offences. It comes after an incident on June 24 last, when a member of the public reported a car being driven in an erratic manner in Letterkenny. Garda Sergeant Jim Collins told the court that O'Brien has 95 previous convictions and outlined the charges against the 43-year-old. The offences include public order, theft, dangerous driving and driving without insurance for which O'Brien had served some time in prison. Sgt Collins said Gardai received an anonymous call from a member of the public on the day after they saw a silver Vauxhall car being driven "all over the road" at Ballyraine in Letterkenny. The driver, a Martin O'Brien, of The Elms, Park Avenue, Gorey, Co Wexford, was arrested and brought to Letterkenny Garda Station. When in custody, Gardai discovered that O'Brien was not the owner of the car, he was not insured to drive the car and he also tested positive for alcohol. O'Brien was charged that at Lidl Carpark, Ballyraine, Letterkenny, Co Donegal a public place in the said District Court Area of Letterkenny district no 1, while being a specified person as defined in section 3 of the Road Traffic Act 2010 as amended by section 9 of the Road Traffic (No. 2) Act 2011, did drive a mechanically propelled vehicle while there was present in his body a quantity of alcohol such that, within three hours after so driving, the concentration of alcohol in his blood did exceed a concentration of 20 milligrams of alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood, to wit 124 milligrams. The charge was Contrary to section 4(2)(b) & 4(5) of the Road Traffic Act 2010. He was also charged that on the same date and location he did unlawfully use a mechanically propelled vehicle without the consent of the owner or without other lawful authority. The charge was Contrary to Section 112 of the Road Traffic Act, 1961, (as amended by Section 65 of the Road Traffic Act, 1968, and as amended by Section 18 of the Road Traffic Act, 2006). O'Brien was also charged - on the same date and place - with being the user of a mechanically propelled vehicle, such vehicle being one for which neither a vehicle insurer nor an exempted person would be liable for injury caused by the negligent use of said vehicle at that time and for which there was not then in force an approved policy of insurance as required by Part VI of the Road Traffic Act, 1961, as amended by Part VI of the Road Traffic Act, 1968. That charge was Contrary to Section 56(1) & (3) Road Traffic Act 1961 as amended by Section 18 of the Road Traffic Act, 2006. Solicitor for the accused, Mr Robert Ryan, told the court that his client had a long addiction to heroin and had been on a methadone programme when he previously came out of prison. He had turned to alcohol since but Mr Ryan said his client presented as a very different man from when he was arrested. He said O'Brien had suffered a number of tragedies in his life but was trying to get his life back on the straight and narrow. He added that on the day in question, O'Brien had little or no memory of the incidents and doesn't even know how he ended up in Co Donegal. The accused had put up his hands to the charges and now wanted to put them behind him. Judge Eiteain Cunningham sentenced O'Brien to a total of eight months in prison and also banned him from holding a driving licence for 10 years. Sign up to the Irish Mirror's Courts and Crime newsletter here and get breaking crime updates and news from the courts direct to your inbox.


Irish Independent
8 hours ago
- Irish Independent
Man accused over Longford house raid and refusing to provide fingerprints to gardaí remanded in custody
Liam Cosgrove Today at 09:55 An eastern European man has appeared in court charged in connection to a burglary at a house in county Longford over the weekend. Sarunas Utyra (34), whose address is unknown, appeared via video link at a sitting of Longford District Court following an alleged break-in at Clondra, Longford during the early hours of Saturday morning.