BY DAVID FORSYTHE
A MAN who assaulted a concerned ‘good samaritan’ who tried to help him get home has been handed a suspended jail sentence in the District Court.
Defence solicitor Flor Murphy told Skibbereen District Court that Callum Fahy, 25, of Chapel Lane, Skibbereen was pleading guilty to three separate charges, one of assault and two of being drunk in a public place.
Court presenter Inspector Roisín O’Dea said that the first and most serious incident occurred on August 12th, 2023 in Skibbereen. She said that Mr Fahy was offered a lift by a man who was known to him. The man was concerned for Mr Fahy’s wellbeing as he was very drunk and he offered to take Mr Fahy home. The court heard that Mr Fahy assaulted the injured party ‘a number of times’ as he was giving him a lift.
The second incident occurred on July 8th, 2024 when gardaí were called to assist Mr Fahy at Kilcoe, Ballydehob at 9.45pm. Mr Fahy was found in a drunken state and was assessed as being a danger to himself and others. He was arrested and taken to Skibbereen where his behaviour was described as ‘difficult’.
The third incident happened the following day at Wolfe Tone Street in Clonakilty at 3.50am. Mr Fahy had stated he was suicidal and when gardaí arrived at the scene he was lying down in the street in a highly intoxicated state and was arrested.
Mr Murphy said that his client clearly had addiction issues but had been seen by a local addiction counsellor. He said Mr Fahy was in need of treatment and had begun the process of gaining a place in a residential treatment centre. ‘He knows and accepts that his behaviour was appalling. He needs help to deal with these issues,’ said Mr Murphy. Mr Murphy said that Mr Fahy was working on a Castletownbere-based fishing trawler and as long as he was working, there were no issues. ‘The problems arise when he comes back to shore and he has money in his pocket,’ he said.
Judge Marie Keane said that it was apparent from the injured party’s victim impact statement that the assault had a major impact on him. She said: ‘This has had a very serious effect on his mental health. This is a man who has a heart condition and was acting as a good samaritan.’ She said that Mr Fahy ‘appears to have poor insight into the impact of his drinking’ and had left the injured party with ‘persistent fear and
anxiety’.
Judge Keane sentenced Callum Fahy to three months in prison for the assault and suspended the sentence for one year on his own bond of €100. The sentence was suspended to enable Mr Fahy to take up treatment for his addiction issues. The two other charges were taken into consideration.
