The defendant thought the injured party was tailgating him
A sixty-year-old former driving instructor who assaulted another motorist in a ‘road rage’ incident has been handed a suspended prison sentence at Enniskillen Magistrates Court.
Patrick Murphy from Main Street, Tattinderry, Maguiresbridge admitted assaulting Cyril Rusk on October 2 last year at the traffic lights on the Dublin Road in Enniskillen.
On October 2 police received a report that one motorist was assaulting another at the Dublin Road traffic lights.
Two further reports relating the same incident were also received. One witness said both males appeared to have bloody noses and one of them was driving a van.
The injured party, Mr Rusk, attended Enniskillen Police Station to report the incident and had a number of injuries including a cut to the bridge of his nose.
He told police he was following a van along the A4 road towards Enniskillen.
The van was in the outside lane of a climber lane although there was nothing on the inside.
Mr Rusk tried to get past as the van as it appeared to be going into the left hand lane. But when he sped up the van moved across to the right hand lane again blocking him from overtaking.
The van then flashed its hazard lights and Mr Rusk thought this was a friendly gesture.
The van remained in front of the injured party until both vehicles were stopped at the traffic lights at Dublin Road.
When both vehicles were stopped at a set of traffic lights, the driver of the van, the defendant, got out and Mr Rusk put down his window as he believed Murphy had something to say. But instead he started shouting at Mr Rusk accusing him of tailgating.
Mr Rusk told police Murphy tried to poke him in the eyes and at this Mr Rusk said he removed the dark glasses the defendant was wearing. When Murphy was arrested he said he was the one who had been assaulted by Mr Rusk.
The defendant said Mr Rusk called him names including ‘bastard and tinker’ and then launched at him with a volley of punches, with Murphy saying he was defending himself, getting injured in the process. Neither man knew each other prior to this incident, the court was told.
Michelle McVeigh, defending, said the defendant believed the injured party was tail-gating him.
She described her client as a 60 year old who had worked as a driving instructor and who now suffers from health difficulties.
The defendant extended an apology to the court and to his victim and accepted his behaviour was ‘inappropriate’.
District Judge Nigel Broderick referred to a ‘very helpful pre-sentence report’ and noted the defendant engaged in charitable work and raising money for sick children.
“Why does a 60 year old man with a good record end up before the court?’ the judge asked.
The judge queried was this as a result of the deterioration of his mental health.
The judge ordered the defendant to pay £500 compensation to his victim and was also sentenced to four months in prison, suspending this sentence for two years.
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