Garda saw man being punched on the mouth by serial offender

A Garda witnessed a 63-year-old man being punched on the mouth while trying to retrieve his cigarette lighter from a group of people in Eyre Square.

Michael Mongan (23), from 63 Camillaun Park, Newcastle, who has 94 previous convictions, including 11 for assaults, pleaded guilty before Galway District Court this week to assaulting the man on May 9 last.

He also pleaded guilty to begging at Abbeygate Street Upper on April 14 last.

Sergeant Georgina Lohan told the court Garda James Kavanagh was on patrol at 12.40am on May 9 last when he observed Mongan punch a man once into the face.

The injured party had just come out of Supermac’s in Eyre Square when a young woman asked him for a light.  He gave her his lighter and she walked away with it.

Mongan, who was wearing a hoodie at the time, struck the man once into the face when he approached the young woman to retrieve his lighter.

The man, who did not want to come to court, sustained a swollen lip in the assault but did not require medical assistance.

Garda Nigel Silke had observed Mongan the previous month obstructing the pathway while begging at Upper Abbeygate Street.

Sgt. Lohan confirmed Mongan was serving sentences, imposed on July 2 for criminal damage and thefts and his release date was November 14 next.

Judge Deirdre Gearty imposed a concurrent four-month sentence for the assault and took the begging charge into account.

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