A MOBILE phone recording showed two men throwing punches at an unidentified man during a fracas at ‘Club Piero’ in Schull last year, a court heard.
Jack Arnold of Shanavagh, Ballydehob and Killian O’Sullivan of Rathravran, Ballydehob both pleaded guilty at Bantry District Court to the public order offence, which occurred over the June bank holiday weekend.
Sgt Paul Kelly told the court that on Saturday June 5th 2021 a large crowd has gathered at the east end of pier in Schull, locally known as ‘Club Piero.’
‘There were a lot of young people, aged between 18 and 20 years of age, consuming alcohol and at around 8pm a fight broke out between a small group,’ said Sgt Kelly.
‘There was pushing and shoving initially, but the incident escalated when others got involved with most of them joining with the intention of breaking it up, whereas others got involved and subsequently a number of punches were thrown.’
Both defendants were observed from a mobile phone recording throwing punches, with Killian O’Sullivan seen to punch a man in the back of his head, who wasn’t identified.
‘He admitted to gardaí that it was him in the recording after caution and presented himself voluntarily at the garda station and said he was attempting to protect a friend.’
The court also heard that Mr Arnold was also seen on a recording hitting an unnamed person and he and Mr O’Sullivan were the only people prosecuted from that incident.
Judge Colm Roberts remarked that it is amazing that people took out their mobile phones to record the incident and not think about stopping it and he recalled that night as he was in Schull himself then, and said the ‘noise travelled.’
Solicitor Flor Murphy, who represented both men, said they were remorseful, have no previous convictions, had made full admissions and presented themselves voluntarily at the garda station.
‘Both of them came in after the scuffle, started to pull their friend out, and their downfall was that someone had a phone to record them,’ said Mr Murphy.
However, Judge Roberts said their downfall was that they threw punches.
But he added that a conviction would be disproportionate and said both men ‘met matters as honourably as they could.’
Judge Roberts directed both men to contribute €200 each to the Friends of Schull Hospital, and dismissed the charges.
