Court shown video of 'unmerciful assault'

A Zimbabwean national attacked a man in Clonakilty believing the victim had an affair with his wife.

A video of the attack was shown at Cork Circuit Criminal Court today.

The attacker called to the home of the victim who was head-butted, caught by the neck and lifted off the ground, chased up the street, knocked to the ground, kicked in the head and then when he was flat out on the ground the attacker stomped twice on his head.

This was the evidence of Garda Aisiling Murphy in the case against Nkosiyadha Mguni of Clonakilty Lodge, Clonakilty, County Cork. 

Garda Murphy said the injured party was unaware of the reason for the assault.

Mguni pleaded guilty to the charge of assault causing harm to the other man on June 8 2020. 

Defence barrister Patrick Silke said the accused believed that the other man had been having an affair with his wife.

Mr Silke said the accused made full admissions when he was charged with carrying out the offence. The 26-year-old had moved from Zimbabwe to Ireland three years ago.

The defence barrister said Mguni had himself been the victim of a horrific ordeal in his native country.

As for the assault he carried out in Clonakilty, Mr Silke BL said of Mguni, “Rightly or wrongly, he believed this man and his wife were in an extra-marital affair and he lost complete control.” 

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin sentenced him to two years in jail.

“This is a case of an unprovoked assault of a man in his own home. The fact that he called to door of the victim, head-butting him, dragging him out on the lane where he kicked him in an unmerciful way, there was no justification now, then or ever for this unmerciful assault. There is little in this case by way of remorse.” 

The judge said that in respect of the victim, apart from the physical injuries to his head his confidence has been completely undermined.