A Westmeath man who attacked his relatives at a sports stadium bar after an elite boxing tournament has been given a two and a half year suspended sentence.
Joseph Joyce (23 ) struck one cousin, who had been boxing in a match earlier that day, over the head with a bottle seconds after he had thrown a drink over and punched the cousin’s father in the face. He knocked a second cousin out cold.
Joyce, with an address at Farnagh in Moate, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting his cousins, boxer Hugh and Patrick Myers, and their father, Edward Myers, causing them harm at the National Boxing Stadium, South Circular Road, Dublin on February 23, 2013.
He has 45 previous convictions, including a four month sentence for producing a weapon in a dispute.
Garda Eoin Kane told Michael Bowman BL, prosecuting, that the Joyces and the Myers knew each other from boxing.
He said when he arrived on the scene after a call about a fight, he saw Patrick Myers on the ground with cuts on his face.
Edward Myers told gardaí he had mingled with Joyce, his brother and their father before the fight and there had been no animosity at that point. He next recalled Joyce throwing a drink in his face and hitting him.
Hugh Myers said Joyce came at him with a bottle and hit him over the head. The bottle did not break.
Gda Kane agreed with Michael Cooney BL, defending, that the CCTV of the incident provided the best evidence and there appeared to have been a verbal exchange between Joyce and Edward Myers prior to the attack.
He further agreed Joyce had apologised for his actions.
Mr Cooney handed in a number of testimonials to Judge Mary Ellen Ring on behalf of his client and said Joyce had €900 in compensation for his victims.
He said the father-of-two regrets his actions and is willing to stay off alcohol.
Judge Ring noted there has been no further difficulty between any of the parties. She suspended the sentence for two and a half years and ordered that Joyce pay the €900 to be split between the three injured parties.
She further ordered that Joyce pay an extra €600 within 12 months to be split between the Myers.
