Man (25) jailed for assault on woman and her friend

Tom Tuite

A father of two has been jailed for breaking a woman's jaw before punching and kicking her friend when she intervened in the "nasty" attack.

Car valet Hugh McDonagh, 25, The Brosna, Friar's Mill Road, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, received a two-year and three-month sentence after pleading guilty to assault causing harm to his two victims in a drink-fuelled incident on March 7th 2022.

At Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Keenan Johnson praised the victims in court for their generosity and magnanimity for reconciling with the accused.

However, he stressed that the court had to register its disapproval of this type of assault.

He was furnished with a probation report and noted McDonagh had been an enhanced prisoner since being remanded in custody almost five months ago.

Imposing a three-year sentence, he suspended the final nine months subject to various conditions, provided McDonagh does not reoffend for five years.

Judge Johnson noted the evidence outlined by Garda Sergeant Cliff Harding that it happened at a house in Mullingar when the accused had been "highly intoxicated". He had taken other, presumably illegal substances.

The court heard how McDonagh punched one woman and fractured her jaw; the second woman tried to come to her aid, but the accused "punched her in the face three times and kicked her three times on the ground".

The first victim was hospitalised for three days for what the judge described as "nasty" injuries and suffered a loss of work.

The second woman also suffered a traumatic injury and had severe pain over the bridge of her nose.

Judge Johnson listed the aggravating factors: the level of injuries caused, the assault was unprovoked and said McDonagh was "out of control that evening". He had continued offending and had a case in the District Court stemming from an assault in January last year, which the judge regarded as "hugely aggravating".

He highlighted that the accused had anger management problems and a "violent propensity".

However, the judge also noted McDonagh's guilty plea, that he had apologised to the victims, and that relations had been restored between them.

The court heard he had got employment and suffered from bereavement from the unexpected death of his father in September 2021.

However, Judge Keenan said that was "no excuse for his behaviour".

McDonagh, who is married and has a family, must remain on supervised probation, avail of education and training, undergo counselling deemed suitable and refrain from consuming illicit substances and alcohol for 18 months after his release.

The sentence was backdated to include the time already spent in custody on remand.