BY DAVID FORSYTHE
A MAN who admitted assaulting a fellow resident at a homeless accommodation centre in Macroom has been handed a suspended sentence in the District Court.
Niall O’Sullivan, 47, with an address at Coolcower, Macroom, was charged with assault causing harm in relation to the incident that occurred at Coolcower House, on December 4th, 2023.
Court presenter Inspector Triona O’Mahony told Macroom District Court that Mr O’Sullivan and another resident at the centre, David McGrath, became involved in an argument outside the building.
She said that the argument escalated and Mr O’Sullivan violently assaulted Mr McGrath.
The assault was captured on CCTV which showed Mr O’Sullivan punching Mr McGrath repeatedly in the face. Mr McGrath sustained cuts and bruises as a result of the assault.
Giving evidence, David McGrath told the court: ‘I didn’t think it was going to stop. My glasses were kicked into my face.’ Mr McGrath said that he had suffered two cracked ribs and an eye injury as a result of the assault and had also been asked to leave his homeless accommodation, which resulted in him having to move to Dublin.
Defence solicitor Jack Purcell said that his client wanted to apologise to Mr McGrath for what had happened. He told the court that there was ‘history’ between the two men and Mr O’Sullivan felt provoked at the time but accepted that he had gone ‘beyond self-defence.’
Mr Purcell said that Mr O’Sullivan had separated from his wife with whom he had two children at the time and had begun drinking after 20 years of not touching alcohol.
He said that on the day in question he had been drinking which was a major factor in what happened.
Mr Purcell said that after the assault Mr O’Sullivan had stopped drinking. He said the incident was a ‘one off’ and his client had no previous convictions.
Judge Marie Keane said that it was outrageous and unacceptable that people running a homeless accommodation centre should have to ‘put up with this kind of nonsense’. She said that Mr McGrath had sustained significant injuries and that Mr O’Sullivan had ‘more than lost it’ and ‘perpetuated the most appalling violence towards Mr McGrath.’ She added: ‘Alcohol does not excuse this sort of nonsense.’
Niall O’Sullivan was convicted of assault causing harm and sentenced to three months in prison, suspended for two years, on his own bond of €300.
