A man who broke an eight-year-old boy’s nose in a drunken stupor left court €1,300 poorer this week (February 20 ), but did not go to jail after the judge accepted the measures he had taken since to address his problems.
Inspector Nicholas Farrell told how Paul Clancy (42 ), with an address at Portaneena, on the Low Road, Ballykeeran had been arrested after gardaí were called to the Assumption Road home of his former partner Bernadette Evans in the early hours of December 14, 2011.
The inspector explained how Clancy had been drinking whiskey and vodka with Ms Evans on the night in question and that when he fell asleep on the sofa, Ms Evans went up to bed, and went to sleep with her eight-year-old son.
“Judge, Ms Evans woke up with him lying on top of her calling her a hooer and a slapper. The boy woke up and hit the defendant, protecting his mother,” said the inspector.
Clancy lashed out at the child, and when the boy was brought to hospital in Tullamore later, it was confirmed he’d broken his nose.
The inspector clarified that the boy - who made a full recovery - was no relation of Clancy’s, but that the defendant had a 19-year-old daughter with Ms Evans.
“How’s he doing?” asked the judge.
“He has some flashbacks,” said the mother, before adding that he also got “some sinus infections”.
“Ah, we all get those,” smiled Judge Hughes, “But he’s alright?”
“Yes,” confirmed the mother.
Clancy’s solicitor, Mr Paul Connellan, explained how his client had given his daughter €50 earlier that day, and had gone to her mother to try and get it back.
“It was a bit of a bizarre episode,” said Mr Connellan.
“And a nightmare for you,” said Judge Hughes to Ms Evans.
Mr Connellan explained how Clancy had no previous convictions, save for road traffic matters, and was no longer in contact with his daughter.
“He’s absolutely ashamed of his actions, and has scraped together €1,000. On the strength of this [incident] he went to Cuan Mhuire [rehab unit in Galway] for 12 weeks. He struggles with the drink,” said Mr Connellan.
“It could’ve been a lot more serious, he has no recollection of hammering a young boy in the face,” said the judge.
He awarded €750 in compensation to the boy, and €250 to Ms Evans, and fined Clancy a further €300 in total for the two assaults.
