A 19-year-old Castlebar man pleaded guilty at Castlebar District Court this week to assaulting a taxi driver—whose taxi was then set on fire.
On January 25, Joe McDonnell, 4 Riverdale Court, Castlebar got into a taxi driven by Morris Ogboerha, after the Welcome Inn had closed.
The taxi driver was directed to go to Derryharriff, Castlebar (five miles from the town ), where he was hit in the face by McDonnell. The taxi driver received a three centimetre laceration above his left eyebrow.
Mr Ogboerha fled the scene on foot and gardaí were notified. Garda Hugh O’Donnell arrived at the scene where he observed the taxi was on fire and noticed that McDonnell was standing next to the vehicle.
Solicitor Aidan Crowley said that his client had assaulted the taxi driver over an alleged incident where the taxi driver had “dropped his hand” on McDonnell’s girlfriend during a previous taxi ride.
Mr Crowley said that McDonnell was locked in the car when Mr Ogboerha fled the scene. Out of sheer panic Mr Ogboerha had gone to get friends to beat McDonnell up, the defendant broke out of the car and then set fire to the back seat of the taxi with a lighter.
The defendant who has no previous convictions, has, according to his solicitor, anger management issues.
Judge Mary Devins adjourned the matter to October 20 for a probation report with no further recommendations at this stage.
