Women admit vicious nightclub assault

A number of young women involved in a serious assault at a Tuam nightclub, during which their victims were punched in the face and kicked on the floor, had their cases adjourned to the end of the year after probation reports were presented to the local court.

One of the three defendants is a Tuam childcare worker and when the case initially came before the court back in April, the sitting judge imposed a temporary ban on press reporting of her case because she feared it might impact on her employment.

Roxanne McHugh was one of three women pleading guilty to assaults on other women. The case was heard at a special sitting of Tuam Court on Monday, April 23, and Judge Deirdre Gearty agreed with the request and banned any reporting of the case until a probation report could be compiled and sentencing was imposed.

Those probation reports were presented to Judge James Faughnan at last week’s sitting of Tuam District Court and he lifted reporting restrictions in the case.

At the special sitting in April, it was heard how the three women were involves in a series of assaults on three other young women. The victims told the Judge that the attacks had left them fearful about going out in their own home town.

Roxanne McHugh with an address of Apartment 1, Fairgreen Heights, Tuam, Chloe McHugh Apartment 2, Fairgreen Heights and Rebecca Flesk, 2 Fairgreen Heights, were all charged with assault.

Rebecca Flesk pleaded guilty to assault on Veronica Brady, Lea Kelly and Niamh Collins in Geoghegan’s Nightclub, High Street, Tuam, on September 18, 2016.

Chloe McHugh pleaded guilty to assaulting Veronica Brady on the same night and a charge of assaulting Lea Kelly was withdrawn.

Roxanne McHugh pleaded guilty to assaulting Veronica Brady and a charge of assaulting Lea Kelly was withdrawn.

The defence barrister said Roxanne McHugh was a childcare worker, Chloe McHugh was on disability and Rebecca Flesk was a hairdresser.

Garda Emma Conneely was the investigating Garda and she gave evidence of being on duty on the particular night when she received a call from Niamh Collins.

She met her outside the club and she was in a distressed stated. Her nose looked broken and she was bleeding. She said she had been punched in the face by Rebecca Flesk.

She added that Flesk was in the company of the other two defendants at the time. Garda Conneely advised the victim to get medical attention and went inside the club to locate the defendants.

She spoke to Flesk and Roxanne McHugh, whom she said did most of the talking.

The Gardaí then went to Dublin Road and spoke to witness Deborah Brady. They heard that Veronica Brady was pushed to the dance floor in Geoghegan’s and punched and kicked. Lea Kelly’s mouth was bleeding as a result of Flesk punching her in the face, the Gardaí were told.

After taking details the Gardaí returned to High Street at where they found Chloe McHugh sitting on the footpath.

The Gardaí collected CCTV footage and medical reports on the victims and these reports were handed in to the Judge.

The court heard that the mother of two of the defendants, Colette McHugh, sent messages to a number of the injured parties and members of their families and this was brought to the attention of the Gardaí, who visited Colette McHugh, when she agreed she wouldn’t sent any more texts.