Suspended sentence for man who bit brother-in-law

Suspended sentence for man who bit brother-in-law


SENTENCING has been adjourned for 12 months in the case of a Traveller who was before the court charged with biting his brother-in-law - who is also his cousin - at Castlebar Circuit Court last week.
Michael Paul McDonagh (30) of Woodlands, Balla was before the court charged with assault causing harm to Owen Gerard McDonagh (22) arising out of an incident at Owen Gerard’s house.
Michael Paul McDonagh pleaded guilty and Owen Gerard told the court that he didn’t want his cousin to go to jail and that he ‘had made up with him’ after the incident.
Michael Paul was before the court wearing a heavy back brace, the result of a recent car accident. This prompted Judge Raymond Groarke to ask Owen Gerard ‘will Michael Paul look after you if he gets compensation from the accident?’
Owen Gerard McDonagh said he hadn’t asked, to which Michael Paul retorted ‘if you don’t ask you won’t get’.
The court heard how Owen Gerard and Michael Paul and their wives were drinking and smoking cannabis at Owen Gerard’s house when Owen Gerard’s wife - Michael Paul’s sister - became ‘perturbed’ about ashes going on her carpet. A fight ensued between the couples, Michael Paul was headbutted by Owen Gerard and then bitten, at which stage he bit back, causing considerable damage to Owen Gerard’s hand and leaving a scar.
Describing the incident as a particularly vicious kind of assault, Judge Groarke told the defendant that even though Owen Gerard was forgiving, it was not a case of Owen Gerard v Michael Paul but the state v Michael Paul.
Adjourning the sentencing for 12 months, Judge Groarke applied the terms of the probation report and warned McDonagh to stay out of any kind of trouble and to receive counselling for drink and drugs. If the defendant fails to do this, Judge Groarke warned him he would remove the suspension of the 18 month sentence he had in mind.