GALWAY JUDGE APOLOGISES TO MUGGING VICTIM

Date Published: 16-Jan-2009

A Galway Circuit Court Judge has apologised to the victim of a mugging for a Garda Pulse system failure which left his attacker free to carry out the attack.

Today’s Irish Times is reporting 19 year-old Shannon Walsh of Lus Leana, Headford Road, should not have been on the loose at the time of the assault in December 2007.

The Circuit Court heard the teenage mugger should have been in prison serving a two year sentence for assault, when he attacked and robbed a nightclub employee as he walked home from work, leaving him with a broken cheekbone and multiple cuts and bruises.

Shannon Walsh, who has 39 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to robbing a 32 year-old man of his jacket, ring, house keys, 14 euro and a headset at Dock Road on December 30th 2007.

His co-accused, 19 year old Nathan Fury of Claren, Claregalway and formerly of Tudor Vale, Oranmore, pleaded guilty to the same charge.

Judge Raymond Groarke sentenced Shannon Walsh to three years in prison, consecutive to the activated two year sentence.

Judge Groarke suspended the final two years of the sentence on condition Walsh keep the peace for five years following his release from prison.