A Shantalla man who smashed a bottle across the back of a doorman’s head after consuming a cocktail of drink and drugs, has been given a suspended 18-month sentence by a Circuit Court judge.
Shane Murphy (32 ) a native of Shantalla, and who now works as a courier in Dublin, pleaded guilty to assaulting doorman, Padraig Brady (27 ), causing him harm at Eyre Street, Galway, on October 14, 2006.
Garda Pat Foley told the court that Murphy had consumed a bottle of Buckfast, three cans of cider and three valium tablets in a green area in Shantalla before going into town on the night of the assault. He went to the Hole in the Wall pub in Eyre Street but was refused admission because he was so intoxicated. While doormen were dealing with another incident in the pub, Murphy slipped in past them and caused a disturbance inside. The doormen ejected him but when released out onto the footpath, Murphy grabbed doorman, Padraig Brady “by the scruff of the neck”, took a bottle from his pocket and smashed it across the back of Mr Brady’s head.
Garda Foley said the doorman sustained a 3cm cut and staff at A&E had to remove a shard of glass from the wound before stitching it. Murphy ran from the scene but was arrested in Woodquay a short time later. Mr. Brady picked him out of an identity parade and he was subsequently charged with the assault.
The court heard Murphy had 27 previous convictions, going back to 1994. They included 12 for Public Order offences, three for assaulting gardai, two for possession of drugs, one for drug dealing - for which he received a two-year sentence, two for criminal damage, three for drunken driving and one for endangering traffic.
Garda Foley said at one stage Murphy ran a clothes shop but started to come to garda notice due to drink and drugs.
Defence barrister, John Hogan, said his client had consumed a phenomenal amount of drink and drugs prior to committing this assault. After this incident, he said Murphy had taken strident steps to turn his life around and he had admitted himself to the Coolmine Treatment Centre.
Judge Raymond Groarke commented that a report from that centre showed Murphy to be “a bit of a star performer” and that he had put a lot of effort into his recovery.
Murphy’s counsellor gave evidence that the accused had indeed changed his life around.
He was now very anxious to reintegrate back into society and had been working very hard in Dublin as a courier for over a year and would continue to receive aftercare support once his treatment had finished next month. Urine analysis tests carried out by the centre in Coolmine were all clear too, the court was told.
Mr. Hogan said his client had €5,000 to offer to Mr. Brady as a concrete expression of his remorse.
Mr. Brady, who told the court he had made a full recovery and was now working in Dublin, accepted the money.
Judge Groarke told Murphy he didn’t “give a hoot” what he did with the bottle so long as he was trying to get drink. He told Murphy that at the time of this offence he was a menace, given to taking drink and drugs and wandering around the town causing trouble and out of control. However, the judge said, he was very impressed at the way Murphy had turned his life around completely.
The sum of €5,000, he said, was a lot of money for the accused to part with, but it did represent his genuine expression of remorse for what he did in concrete terms. Given his successful efforts at rehabilitation, the judge decided to impose an 18-month sentence, which he suspended on condition Murphy be of good behaviour for three years.
