This article is from page 14 of the 2008-07-22 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 14 JPG
A YOUNG man lost consciousness in an early morning row at a garage forecourt in Shannon during which kicks were thrown.
Christopher McGorrian (19), of Rossbracken, Shannon, pleaded guilty to assaulting Gordon Call- inan causing him harm, while Mark Hayes (19), with addresses at Aidan Park and Rossbracken, admitted as- saulting David Malone causing him harm, on New Year’s Day, 2006.
Garda Liam Reilly told Ennis Cir- cuit Court yesterday that the incident occurred at 2am.
He said that when gardai arrived at the scene, David Malone was lying unconscious on the ground. He and Gordon Callinan later made state- ments to gardai. Mr Callinan claimed he had been kicked in the head.
Mr Malone said he had been struck and this caused him to fall to the ground, hitting his head off a kerb in the process. Mr Malone sustained a fractured jaw and spent five days in hospital. Mr Callinan suffered a lac- erated eardrum in the assault.
Garda Reilly said that the two men had been out celebrating the arrival of the New Year. The two went to the Shell garage, where they met the two PYCe sel 6 Bs
“Words were exchanged and this resulted in the assaults,’ said the garda.
The court was told that both ac- cused came from broken homes. McGorrian had no previous convic- tions, while Hayes has a number of previous convictions.
Hayes’ barrister Michael Collins said that there was no doubt his cli- ent was involved in assaulting Mr Malone, but a number of witnesses told gardai that two or three people had kicked him while he was on the ground. Garda Reilly accepted this.
“Mark Hayes admits hitting him, but he didn’t kick him,’ said the bar- rister.
McGorrian’s barrister Mark Nicho- las said the incident was a result of “words being exchanged” and said his client had co-operated with the garda investigation.
Judge Carroll Moran adjourned sentencing until next week.