A man pleaded guilty at Castlebar District Court on Tuesday to a section two assault on a man which took place at an after party following a family Christening.
On September 3 2011, Mr Paddy McDonagh attended a family Christening and a reception was held after in a hotel in Claremorris. Following on from the hotel reception a number of people went back to the home of a family member for more drinks. At this party, which was held in a garage beside the house, a row broke out between two women and John Ward, 6 Tower Hill, Ballymote, Sligo got involved which resulted in Ward assaulting Mr McDonagh with a kick to the face.
Ward (21 ) denies kicking McDonagh in the face but according to his solicitor, Siobhan Geraghty he gave a light thump to McDonagh’s face after McDonagh attacked him first.
The defendant was also before court for the theft of a jacket from Next, Castlebar. At 12.55pm on November 27 2011, gardaí were called to Next after two males entered the store and took two Italian woollen jackets, worth €145 each. Both were identified on CCTV. Ward was one of the men and the second man was a young person. Ward admitted he took one jacket. The jacket was not recovered.
Ms Geraghty said that her client is willing to pay €145 as compensation for the stolen jacket.
The defendant has 27 previous convictions—18 for road traffic, five for theft, two for robbery, one for public order and one for criminal damage.
Judge Mary Devins said that Ward has been given plenty of chances in the past, most recently in Sligo before Christmas, where he was given a suspended sentence. Ward was convicted and fined a total of €750 for the assault and theft and sentenced to a total of three months in prison.
