Latest news with #Non-FatalOffencesAgainstthePersonAct1997
Sunday World
2 days ago
- Sunday World
Plumber jailed for ‘atrocious and appalling' attack on delivery driver in Wicklow
Leon Cooney (37), a plumber of Ardmore Drive, Herbert Road, Bray, Co Wicklow pleaded guilty to a charge of assault causing harm to the delivery driver A Bray man has been jailed for two years for beating up and robbing a delivery driver near his home during a violent drunken attack which a judge described as 'appalling and atrocious.' Leon Cooney (37), a plumber of Ardmore Drive, Herbert Road, Bray, Co Wicklow pleaded guilty to a charge of assault causing harm to the delivery driver on January 15, 2024 outside his home, contrary to Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997. Cooney also pleaded guilty during a sitting of Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court to a separate charge of robbing a mobile phone from his victim on the same occasion, contrary to Section 14 of the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act, 2001. Garda Stephen Farrell told the court that the defendant was highly intoxicated on the night and had physically attacked the delivery driver who suffered abrasions to his head, hands, knees and lower back. The court heard Cooney had assaulted his victim before the man managed to get away from him but pursued him again before physically attacking him a second time and then robbing a phone from his vehicle. Counsel for the DPP, James Kelly BL, said the victim had not wanted any further role in the proceedings and had not provided a victim impact statement. Judge John Martin said the accused had engaged in 'outrageous conduct' and described his offending as 'appalling and atrocious' for someone who had previously been a perfectly normal functioning member of society. The judge said he appreciated how terrifying it must have been for Cooney's victim who had not only suffered physical injuries but also the psychological impact of a prolonged, sustained attack. He said an aggravating factor in the case was that the victim's phone was never recovered. However, Judge Martin said mitigating factors were Cooney's early guilty plea, his genuine remorse and an offer of €2,500 which he had brought to court which had been accepted by the delivery driver. The judge said a custodial sentence could not be avoided given the circumstances of the case and the need to send out a message that such conduct is not acceptable. Judge Martin expressed concern that attacks on delivery drivers were becoming 'all too prevalent.' 'Such an unprovoked, unwarranted, savage attack cannot be tolerated,' he added. The judge sentenced Cooney to three years in prison for the conviction for assault causing harm but suspended the final 12 months for a period of two years on certain conditions. They include that the accused keeps the peace for two years after his release from prison and places himself under the supervision of the Probation Service for that period as well as a requirement to complete a course in anger management. Cooney had been remanded overnight in custody following a court appearance the previous day. At the start of the hearing, the defendant's counsel, Justin McQuade BL, told the court that Cooney had had a difficult night as it was his first time in a prison cell. Bray Courthouse, where Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court sits News in 90 Seconds - Tuesday, July 29
Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Irish Independent
Plumber jailed for ‘atrocious and appalling' attack on delivery driver in Wicklow
A Bray man has been jailed for two years for beating up and robbing a delivery driver near his home during a violent drunken attack which a judge described as 'appalling and atrocious.' Leon Cooney (37), a plumber of Ardmore Drive, Herbert Road, Bray, Co Wicklow pleaded guilty to a charge of assault causing harm to the delivery driver on January 15, 2024 outside his home, contrary to Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997.
Irish Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Off-duty bouncer "no longer the same man" after violent hotel assault
An off-duty bouncer who was violently attacked by two men whom he had previously barred from a hotel in Arklow is 'no longer the same man' after being forced into early retirement due to the severity of his injuries. A Polish national who attacked the victim near his workplace while he was off-duty on Christmas Eve five years ago was sentenced to three years in prison for the attack. A sitting of Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court heard that the victim had suffered serious facial injuries after being struck in the head with a bottle on Main Street, Arklow on December 24, 2019. Mateusz Gorecki (31), of Ferrybank, Arklow, Co Wicklow pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Paul Lee, contrary to Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997. The unemployed male, who has been living in Ireland for 14 years, also pleaded guilty to a separate charge of production of an article capable of inflicting serious injury on the same date. Garda Emmet Furlong gave evidence that the injured man was sitting in his car outside the Royal Hotel on Main Street, Arklow at around 10pm on Christmas Eve five years ago to collect his partner from work. Garda Furlong said Mr Lee saw Gorecki and another male, with whom he had interactions in the past in his role as a bouncer at the hotel. The witness said the two men had been barred from the premises by Mr Lee as a result of a previous incident. He told the court that Mr Lee felt the two men, one of whom seemed to have a bottle in his hand, were glaring at him before they walked up and down past his vehicle on the other side of the road. Garda Furlong told prosecution counsel, James Kelly, BL that the bouncer got out of his car to go to speak to the pair. Video footage of the incident was played in court which showed that Gorecki attempted to hit Mr Lee before throwing a bottle at his head. The accused's companion had punched and kicked the victim between the two actions by Gorecki. The court heard that Mr Lee was referred to three different hospitals over the Christmas holiday period for treatment for his injuries. Garda Furlong said the victim suffered fractures to his skull, eye socket and cheekbone and required surgery to implant three plates in his face. He told Mr Kelly that Gorecki was 'nonplussed' by what happened when arrested and claimed he had not thrown a bottle. The witness said the accused was still of the view that the bottle had not hit Mr Lee, despite the video evidence. The court heard that Gorecki had no previous convictions at the time of the assault on the bouncer but had subsequently been convicted of two public order offences for being intoxicated in a public place. Cross-examined by defence counsel, Feargal Kavanagh SC, as to who was the principal protagonist in the assault, Garda Furlong said Gorecki caused the most damage but his accomplice, who received an 18-month prison sentence for his role, was 'more of a leader.' The court heard Gorecki had been drinking at a party in his sister's house in Arklow earlier on Christmas Eve. In a victim impact statement, which was read on his behalf by his son, Mr Lee (54) said he had been a proud, hard-working man before the attack but had been forced into early retirement by an act of unprovoked violence. He told the court that the assault had not just caused him the normal physical agony but had devastated his life entirely. Mr Lee said the psychological effects were 'insidious and even more profound' and he had suffered chronic and persistent damage. The court heard he suffers from seizures and 'insufferable headaches' as well as blurred vision and post-traumatic stress disorder. 'I do not recognise myself,' said Mr Lee. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week He claimed that work provided him with structure, identity and pride but he was now 'no longer the same man' as every aspect of his life had been affected. Mr Lee said his family had also suffered as they were looking at a person who had 'faded into someone unrecognisable.' 'The emotional toll is impossible to fully explain,' he added. He described the assault as not a momentary injury but 'a permanent turning point in my life.' Mr Lee urged Judge John Martin for any sentence to reflect the seriousness of Gorecki's offending which had 'taken the remaining years of my life.' Pleading for leniency, Mr Kavanagh said Gorecki came from a relatively poor background and had suffered a lot of tragedy. The court heard his father died when he was very young, while his mother died last year and a brother was killed in a motorcycle accident in Ireland a few years ago. Mr Kavanagh said the defendant had also expressed remorse and shame for what he described as a 'one-off incident.' He said Gorecki was assessed as being at a moderate risk of reoffending which he believed was linked to his difficulty in finding employment. However, Mr Kavanagh said the accused had recently received the offer of a job at Arklow Golf Club. The barrister said Gorecki had also reduced his alcohol intake and had not committed any other offences since 2023. While not seeking to blame Mr Lee for what happened, Mr Kavanagh said the bouncer had stood 'toe to toe' with the accused and spoke into their faces. Sentencing Gorecki to three and a half years in prison for the assault offence, Judge Martin suspended the final six months for a period of 12 months on condition that the accused place himself under the supervision of the Probation Service on his release from prison for two years and remain free of alcohol for that period. The judge observed that the accused had only demonstrated partial responsibility for an offence that was 'quick and drink-fuelled' but whose effects were 'lasting and very significant.' He said Mr Lee had suffered most horrific injuries in an attack where Gorecki had delivered 'the first and last blow.' The judge noted that the defendant had only entered guilty pleas after a jury had been sworn in to hear his trial. He also took into account that Gorecki had made no concrete expression of remorse or any offer to make amends. The judge offered his best wishes to Mr Lee and expressed hope that the finalisation of the case would bring him some closure. 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.
BreakingNews.ie
6 days ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Off-duty bouncer 'not the same' after assault by men barred from Arklow hotel, court hears
An off-duty bouncer who was violently attacked by two men whom he had previously barred from a hotel in Arklow is 'no longer the same man' after being forced into early retirement due to the severity of his injuries. A Polish national who attacked the victim near his workplace while he was off-duty on Christmas Eve five years ago was sentenced to three years in prison for the attack. Advertisement A sitting of Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court heard that the victim had suffered serious facial injuries after being struck in the head with a bottle on Main Street, Arklow, on December 24th, 2019. Mateusz Gorecki (31), of Ferrybank, Arklow, Co Wicklow, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Paul Lee, contrary to Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997. The unemployed male, who has been living in Ireland for 14 years, also pleaded guilty to a separate charge of production of an article capable of inflicting serious injury on the same date. Garda Emmet Furlong gave evidence that the injured man was sitting in his car outside the Royal Hotel on Main Street, Arklow, at around 10pm on Christmas Eve five years ago to collect his partner from work. Advertisement Garda Furlong said Mr Lee saw Gorecki and another male, with whom he had interactions in the past in his role as a bouncer at the hotel. The witness said the two men had been barred from the premises by Mr Lee as a result of a previous incident. He told the court that Mr Lee felt the two men, one of whom seemed to have a bottle in his hand, were glaring at him before they walked up and down past his vehicle on the other side of the road. Garda Furlong told prosecution counsel, James Kelly, BL, that the bouncer got out of his car to go to speak to the pair. Advertisement Video footage of the incident was played in court, which showed that Gorecki attempted to hit Mr Lee before throwing a bottle at his head. The accused's companion had punched and kicked the victim between the two actions by Gorecki. The court heard that Mr Lee was referred to three different hospitals over the Christmas holiday period for treatment for his injuries. Garda Furlong said the victim suffered fractures to his skull, eye socket and cheekbone and required surgery to implant three plates in his face. He told Mr Kelly that Gorecki was 'nonplussed' by what happened when arrested and claimed he had not thrown a bottle. Advertisement The witness said the accused was still of the view that the bottle had not hit Mr Lee, despite the video evidence. The court heard that Gorecki had no previous convictions at the time of the assault on the bouncer but had subsequently been convicted of two public order offences for being intoxicated in a public place. Asked under cross-examination by defence counsel, Feargal Kavanagh SC, who was the principal protagonist in the assault, Garda Furlong said Gorecki caused the most damage, but his accomplice, who received an 18-month prison sentence for his role, was 'more of a leader.' The court heard Gorecki had been drinking at a party in his sister's house in Arklow earlier on Christmas Eve. Advertisement In a victim impact statement, which was read on his behalf by his son, Mr Lee (54) said he had been a proud, hard-working man before the attack but had been forced into early retirement by an act of unprovoked violence. He told the court that the assault had not just caused him the normal physical agony but had devastated his life entirely. Mr Lee said the psychological effects were 'insidious and even more profound' and he had suffered chronic and persistent damage. The court heard he suffers from seizures and 'insufferable headaches' as well as blurred vision and post-traumatic stress disorder. 'I do not recognise myself,' said Mr Lee. He claimed that work provided him with structure, identity and pride, but he was now 'no longer the same man' as every aspect of his life had been affected. Mr Lee said his family had also suffered as they were looking at a person who had 'faded into someone unrecognisable.' 'The emotional toll is impossible to fully explain,' he added. He described the assault as not a momentary injury but 'a permanent turning point in my life.' Mr Lee urged Judge John Martin for any sentence to reflect the seriousness of Gorecki's offending, which had 'taken the remaining years of my life.' Pleading for leniency, Mr Kavanagh said Gorecki came from a relatively poor background and had suffered a lot of tragedy. The court heard his father died when he was very young, while his mother died last year, and a brother was killed in a motorcycle accident in Ireland a few years ago. Mr Kavanagh said the defendant had also expressed remorse and shame for what he described as a 'one-off incident.' He said Gorecki was assessed as being at a moderate risk of reoffending, which he believed was linked to his difficulty in finding employment. However, Mr Kavanagh said the accused had recently received the offer of a job at Arklow Golf Club. The barrister said Gorecki had also reduced his alcohol intake and had not committed any other offences since 2023. While not seeking to blame Mr Lee for what happened, Mr Kavanagh said the bouncer had stood 'toe to toe' with the accused and spoke into their faces. Sentencing Gorecki to three and a half years in prison for the assault offence, Judge Martin suspended the final six months for a period of 12 months on condition that the accused place himself under the supervision of the Probation Service on his release from prison for two years and remain free of alcohol for that period. The judge observed that the accused had only demonstrated partial responsibility for an offence that was 'quick and drink-fuelled' but whose effects were 'lasting and very significant.' He said Mr Lee had suffered most horrific injuries in an attack where Gorecki had delivered 'the first and last blow.' The judge noted that the defendant had only entered guilty pleas after a jury had been sworn in to hear his trial. He also took into account that Gorecki had made no concrete expression of remorse or any offer to make amends. The judge offered his best wishes to Mr Lee and expressed hope that the finalisation of the case would bring him some closure.
Dublin Live
27-06-2025
- Dublin Live
Man avoids prison after placing hand on woman's bottom and assaulting husband
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A Wicklow man who placed his hand on a woman's bottom in a pub and then carried out a violent assault on her husband when confronted about the incident has avoided being sent to prison. William Eager (41) of Barleyfield, Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow pleaded guilty at a sitting of Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm of Philip Lewis in the Mount Kennedy Inn, Main Street, Newtownmountkennedy on January 21, 2023, contrary to Section 2 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997. The widower and father-of-five also pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Lewis' wife, Emer, on the same occasion, contrary to Section 2 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997. Garda Emma Jane Doyle gave evidence that the accused had been present in the crowded pub where some customers were dancing. She told prosecution counsel, James Kelly BL, that Eager and his victims were unknown to each other when the accused started chatting to the couple in the pub. The garda said Ms Lewis told her husband after coming back from the toilet that the accused had put his hand on her bottom. She said Mr Lewis went into the bathroom in the pub where he remonstrated with Eager over what had happened. Garda Doyle said the accused's response was, with the assistance of another individual, to assault Mr Lewis who suffered repeated blows as well as being pinned up against a wall. She said the victim was on the ground when a staff member of the pub came into the bathroom. The court heard that Mr Lewis was brought to hospital where it was established that he had suffered a fractured nose as well as bruising to both eyes and his forehead. After being asked to leave the Mount Kennedy Inn, Mr Kelly pointed out that Eager went to the nearby Parkview Hotel where he was captured on CCTV making gestures which appeared to be a "glorification" of what he had just done. When arrested, Garda Doyle said Eager denied any assault and had "a different story altogether." The court heard the other assailant, Stephen Redmond, was given a two-year prison sentence with the final 15 months suspended as well as being ordered to pay Mr Lewis €7,000 in compensation. In a victim impact statement, Ms Lewis said Eager had approached her while she was dancing with a group and gave her "a proper grab" on her bottom. "Even thinking about it now, I feel sick," said Ms Lewis. "I felt violated." Cross-examined by defence counsel, Greg Murphy, BL, Garda Doyle said she did not accept the suggestion that the majority of the offending was carried out by Redmond. She pointed out that Mr Lewis had been held by Eager who had initiated the assault, while both men had kicked their victim. Judge Terence O'Sullivan observed that there was "no shadow of doubt" that both men had been engaged in a joint enterprise. The court heard that Eager only pleaded guilty on the day he was due to stand trial on the charges last March. It was also informed that he had several previous convictions including one for violent disorder for which he had received a suspended sentence. Pleading for leniency, Mr Murphy said Eager was extremely apologetic and embarrassed by what he had done and was abhorred at his actions. The barrister said the accused was in a position to offer €2,000 compensation to his victim. The court heard that Eager, a logistics coordinator with a transport company, was the sole breadwinner in his family following the death of his wife, Lisa, last year. Mr Murphy told the court that the defendant was "a totally different man today." However, Judge O'Sullivan said the unprovoked assault for which there was no justification merited a jail term. He said aggravating factors in the case was Eager's glorification of the assault and the impact it had on his victim but he also recognised that his wife's death was "a hand grenade into his life." Sentencing Eager to two years in prison, the judge said he would suspend the full term of imprisonment on condition that the sum of €2,000 compensation was paid to Mr Lewis before October 8. He said the other charge of assaulting Ms Lewis would be taken into consideration. Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice . For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
