A 24 year old man who grabbed a man by his throat and punched him a number of times through the open window of a car, was before Ballina District Court this week.
Trevor Murphy, Horsevalley, Headford, Galway, pleaded guilty to the section two assault on Jerome O’Dowd (21 ) in Diamond’s Yard Car Park on November 7 2008.
Garda Patrick Kelly was informed of the assault by Mr O’Dowd, who told him that while sitting in his car a green Jeep pulled up beside him; the driver got out and punched Mr O’Dowd a number of times through the open window of his car which resulted in bruising under and above Mr O’Dowd’s eye.
At 12.30am Garda Kelly spotted a Jeep in Ballina which matched the description in Ballina and spoke to the driver where he noticed fresh wounds on Murphy’s hands, who admitted the incident.
Solicitor Michael Bohan said that Murphy grabbed Mr O’Dowd by the throat and punched him as the injured party had posted false allegations about Murphy’s business and remarks about his character on a website.
Murphy told the court that he was 100 per cent wrong with what he did, but “I did lose the cool” when Mr O’Dowd refused to apologise for the false remarks posted.
The defendant who has previous convictions was given the Probation Act by Judge Mary Devins who ordered that €100 be given to the injured party.
