One of the principal participants in the ongoing Willow Park feud with only nine days to serve on a prison sentence, received an additional eight months this week (September 1 ) after he finally pleaded guilty to an iron bar assault on one of his opponents.
Inspector Fergus Treanor told the court how James Ring (21 ) of Thornbury Drive, Willow Park, Athlone was walking home at 5am on April 24 last when he encountered Raymond O’Neill (21 ) from the opposing faction and set about him with an iron bar. O’Neill suffered a cut lip and some markings on his torso but didn’t have to be hospitalised.
Ring, who has 71 previous convictions, appeared in court in the dock, as he is serving a four month sentence in St Patrick’s Institution from June 18 for possession of a knife. A release date of September 10 was given in court.
“There has been a history of ill feeling and bad blood between my client and the victim in this incident,” said defending solicitor, Tony McLynn.
Judge David Anderson wanted to know why Ring was now pleading guilty to this assault, having pleaded not guilty to it on his last appearance in July.
“My client is not in a position to explain this today. It could’ve been concurrent,” said Mr McLynn, pointing out that Ring could have expected the sentence for this crime to have run concurrently with the June sentence had he pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.
Judge Anderson asked if Ring worked or had any compensation for his victim in court, and when Mr McLynn said no, the judge sentenced Ring to a further eight months in St Patricks. He set independent bail for an appeal at €2,000.
In October 2008, Ring and a co-accused, Stephen O’Reilly (20 ) also of Thornbury Drive and boyfriend of Ring’s sister, were jailed for 16 months for attempting to petrol bomb O’Neill’s mother’s house. Then in December that year, Ring received an additional three months for breaking windows in this house and for knocking Mrs O’Neill to the ground as he made his getaway.
In June this year Raymond O’Neill was given a nine-month sentence for his part in an assault with a wooden bat with his brother Patrick on Ring’s sister, Stacey, in the garden of her home at breakfast time on May 25 whilst she was holding her infant. Ms Ring required six stitches to a head wound and the child was uninjured.
Ms Ring showed her displeasure at this sentence by interrupting a subsequent case that day by shouting at the judge: “Why is he [O’Neill in the dock] winkin’ at me and why did you give that f***er only nine months?”, before being led from the court.
At the initial hearing of this case on May 26, the remaining players in the factions continued the tit-for-tat hostilities outside the courthouse, leading to the arrest of three others and the appearance of the Garda armed response unit.
