Two teenagers were given prison sentences this week for their part in a feud-related assault on a family house in Meadowbrook last January which saw a number of windows broken and petrol bombs used in the vicinity.
Stephen O’Reilly (19 ), of 85, Thornbury Drive, Willow Park and James Ring (19 ), of 16, Thornbury Drive were sentenced to 14 and 16 months respectively for their part in the criminal damage of the O’Neill family house in Meadowbrook and for a number of unrelated road traffic offences.
A third co-defendant, Albert Marsh (29 ), with addresses at 104, Meadowbrook and 8, Cherryfield Avenue, Athlone was found not guilty on this criminal damage charge but was sentenced to six months in jail for an unrelated assault on a binman.
The three, who were facing a total of 30 charges between them, have appealed their sentences and were bailed on a combination of their own bonds and three independent sureties.
All three co-defendants pleaded not guilty to the charge of damaging the windows of the O’Neill house at around 5.45am on the morning of January 29 last and so the case was heard by Judge Aeneas McCarthy.
The first witness for the prosecution was Mr Ray O’Neill who told the court how he had been sitting watching TV on the morning in question when a stone was thrown through his front window.
“I opened the front door and I saw James Ring and Stephen O’Reilly and [a man not before the court],” said Mr O’Neill.
“They ran from my garden and round the corner. I got the wife to ring the guards.”
Inspector Paul Cuttle asked him how he knew Ring and O’Reilly and was told: “They moved into the estate about three or four years ago”.
“How close were they?” asked the Inspector.
“As close as me and you,” said Mr O’Neill.
What lighting was around your house?” asked the Inspector.
“There were streetlights and I have a spotlight out the front”.
Mr O’Neill then told the court that although he had a CCTV system it was not recording that night and that the damage came to around €500.
He also told the court that one of the three lit up a petrol bomb and threw it at the road at the front of the house.
“If it wasn’t for the quick response of the guards I wouldn’t be here today,” said Mr O’Neill.
This part of his testimony was queried by defence solicitor Tony McLynn who said there was no mention of petrol in the forensic officer’s report.
However, Mr O’Neill’s recollection was later corroborated by Garda John Nee who was first on the scene and testified: “On approaching the house there was a very strong smell of petrol around the front of the house and the remains of what looked like a broken bottle on the road”. He also told the court that it had been raining heavily when he arrived at the scene.
“You’d be familiar with petrol bombs thrown at houses?” Mr McLynn asked.
“I’ve seen it happen,” said Mr O’Neill.
“The last two or three years there’s been a lot of trouble in Willow Park”.
“Is it true your family had difficulty with other families in the area?” asked Mr McLynn.
“In fact, weren’t you yourself convicted of criminal damage to a house?”
“I was but it had nothing to do with Willow Park,” said Mr O’Neill.
He went on to say that he didn’t see Albert Marsh at his house but was adamant in his identification of the other two accused.
“Mr O’Reilly said [in his statement to the Gardai] that he was at Mr Marsh’s house,” said Mr McLynn.
“That’s incorrect. He was at my house,” said Mr O’Neill.
“Mr Ring says he wasn’t there,” pressed Mr McLynn.
“Incorrect. I saw three of them not 10 feet from me”.
Next up on the stand was Mrs Elizabeth O’Neill who testified she saw Marsh at her house along with the three men named by her husband.
“How do you know them?” asked Inspector Cuttle.
“They broke up my house seven times before,” she said.
“I put it to you, you are mistaken,” said Mr McLynn.
“I’m sure it was them,” said Mrs O’Neill.
“They’ve had me terrorised for the last four years.
“I had to put my daughter in voluntary care to get her out of Willow Park”
The next witness was the O’Neill’s 15-year-old daughter who also identified Ring and O’Reilly but could only say she “saw a fella wearing a hat that he usually wears” about Marsh.
At this point in proceedings Judge McCarthy felt he could dismiss this charge against Marsh but wanted to proceed with the case against Ring and O’Reilly.
First defence witness up was Ring’s father who testified his son was at home on the night in question, went to bed at “twelve-ish” and that “he was there in the morning when I got up”.
Inspector Cuttle asked Mr Ring if his son was a good timekeeper.
“He’s over 18. I can’t tell him what to do,” said Mr Ring.
“In the past has he left the house at night?” asked the Inspector.
“I don’t know”.
Marsh made an alibi for O’Reilly but admitted on the stand that “to be honest I smoke cannabis very heavily and we smoked that night” and testified to smoking up to 20 joints that night.
“He fell asleep at three or four o’clock. I went into my girlfriend and he was there in the morning,” said Marsh.
“Ten or 20 joints? So realistically you have no idea what went on,” said the Inspector.
“Yeah, he was there,” said Marsh.
So how do you know he didn’t go out at ten to six and teach the O’Neills a lesson?” asked the Inspector.
“How sure are you?”
I can’t be a hundred per cent,” said Marsh.
“That’s an honest answer,” said the Inspector.
O’Reilly was last on the stand and he also denied being there on the night in question.
When asked whether he disliked the O’Neills he told the court “I used to like them” and that he once cared for a homeless son of the O’Neills.
“I’m satisfied with the evidence before me,” said the judge before finding both Ring and O’Reilly guilty of the criminal damage charge for which both were given a 10 month custodial sentence.
Both were also found guilty of driving without insurance on separate dates which saw a consecutive six and four months added to their respective sentences.
Ring was then disqualified from driving for 10 years and O’Reilly for 20 years.
On his separate charges, Marsh pleaded guilty to an asssault where he inflicted an injury requiring five stitches to the head of a binman after throwing a brick at him in Connaught Gardens on April 18, 2007 for which he was sentenced to six months imprisonment.
He was also given a concurrent two months for possession of cannabis resin following a search of his house on January 5 last.
All other charges were taken into consideration or struck out.
All three lodged appeals,paying a bond of €500 and raising an independent surety of €1,500 each.
All three were then bailed to appear at the Court of Appeal in the Circuit Court at a date yet to be fixed.
The judge ordered Ring and O’Reilly to have “no contact whatsoever with the O’Neill family”.
