‘Peacemaker’ hit on the head with hurley and left in pool of blood

An innocent victim of an unprovoked assault was slapped in the head with a hurley in Youghal and now the accused has been given a two-year suspended sentence.

Detective Garda Aidan d’Ardis gave evidence of the incident. He said a number of parties were involved and the victim of the assault had only been acting as a peacemaker.

The injured party was struck in the head with a hurley and left unconscious in a pool of blood.

24-year-old Adam Abrahams, of 119 Blackwater Heights, Youghal, County Cork, confessed to a charge of assault causing harm to another man with a hurley, at Cork Circuit Criminal Court. He admitted the charge of assault causing harm to Christopher Cuddihy with a hurley at Front Strand, Youghal, County Cork.

Defence barrister, John Devlin, said the defendant had brought €5,500 compensation to court for the injured party.

Det Garda d’Ardis said of Abrahams, “My father would have described him as a corner boy.” However, he did say the defendant appeared to have changed his ways.

Garda Gary O’Hanlon previously testified that on June 28, 2018, at Front Strand in Youghal, a young man was knocked unconscious and found lying in a pool of blood.

“Adam Abrahams took a hurley and hit the man to the side of his head. He ran from the scene of the assault and disposed of the hurley. Gardaí were not able to recover it,” Garda O’Hanlon said.

In relation to the impact on the victim, Garda O’Hanlon said, “He is not the same man since it happened. He suffered anxiety and depression and a large scar on the side of his head.”

Mr Devlin, BL, said of the accused, “He does not have previous for this and he has not come to the notice of gardaí around the area since.”

Judge Ó Donnabháin said, “It is a very serious assault with a weapon. That is an aggravating factor. It was a very serious, unprovoked assault.” The judge said he had to take account of the absence of previous convictions and his good behaviour since. The judge imposed a fully suspended, two-year sentence.