A man who at Ballina District Court pleaded guilty to assaulting his cousin outside a nightclub was convicted at this week’s court sitting.
At a previous court it was outlined that on May 13 2012 Delia Durcan was socialising with friends in Ballina. When she left a nightclub on Pearse Street, her cousin Kevin Durcan, 10 Arbuckle, Ballina, was verbally abusive to her and her three friends. He hit her in the shoulder which pushed her backwards. She did not sustain any injuries.
Garda Noel Crinnegan who arrived at the scene said that there had apparently been a verbal argument earlier in the nightclub between them in the men’s toilets.
Judge Mary Devins adjourned the case to this week for a probation report which indicated that Durcan was at “low risk” of re-offending. His solicitor Peter Loftus said that the “quiet individual” is a hard worker and had a good relationship with his cousin before this incident.
The defendant, who has previous convictions, was convicted and fined €250 by Judge Devins and asked to pay €250 in compensation to Ms Durcan. Mr Loftus asked if his client could instead pay the money to a charity rather than to Ms Durcan and the judge said that a charity of Ms Durcan’s choice could be selected.
