Victim tells court he has been left in very dark place

A 24-year-old man who ambushed another man as he exited a city nightclub has been given time to pay €1500 compensation before a suspended sentence is imposed.

Brian Keane, from Ballinamanagh East, Maree, Oranmore, pleaded guilty at Galway District Court to assaulting Gabriel Corless at Williamsgate Street, on June 21 last year.

Sergeant Vincent Jennings gave evidence there had been words between the pair in the night-club but Mr Corless had walked away from Keane and informed a bouncer about the incident.

He said the victim was assaulted and knocked to the ground by the accused near the top of an alleyway seconds after leaving the nightclub later that night.

Defence solicitor, Brian Gilmartin said his client had been waiting for his girlfriend and not the victim.  He was now very sorry for assaulting Mr Corless.

Mr Corless, a father of three, told Judge Mary Fahy that Keane had tried to provoke him in the nightclub but he walked away and went to a bouncer to tell him what was happening.

The bouncer, he said, then escorted Keane out of the night-club.

“When I left, he was waiting for me.  I never got a chance to put my hand up or to defend myself.

“His uncle has issues with me, but I don’t know him.  I don’t know what this young man’s problem is with me,” Mr Corless said.

Having read a medical report which was handed into court by Inspector Derek Gannon, Judge Fahy said the victim had been knocked to the ground but he had not lost consciousness.  However, he did suffer from headaches.

She asked the victim if he had made a good recovery.

“Physically, yes, but I’m attending for counselling.  I’ve had depression since and have been left in a very dark place,” Mr Corless explained.

Judge Fahy told him he had dealt properly with the incident in the night-club by going to the bouncer.

“He was waiting for this man.  He was jumped on and it has left him with psychological issues,” Judge Fahy added.

Mr Gilmartin disagreed and said again that his client had been waiting for his girlfriend.

The judge told him the victim had been jumped on and there was nothing to alert him to this and because of that he had been left with psychological difficulties since.

Mr Corless said he was a father of three and worked as a facilities engineer in a local factory.  He had to take two weeks off work at the time.

In reply to Judge Fahy, he said he would be willing to accept compensation from the accused.

A solicitor then made himself known to the court and said he was representing Mr Corless from a civil proceedings point of view.

Noting the assault took place over a year ago and that the case had been in for hearing this week, Judge Fahy said the accused could have dealt with things a bit better.

Mr Gilmartin said his client was an apprentice plumber and had brought €500 to court for the victim as a token of his remorse.

Judge Fahy directed the money be handed over to Mr Corless and she adjourned the matter to September for the payment of another €1,000.

She said that after that the victim could take a civil case against the accused if he so wished.

The judge indicated that if the balance of the €1,500 was paid by September she would impose a suspended sentence on the accused.