A 25-year-old man from Maguiresbridge who launched an ‘unprovoked and unjustified’ attack on a bouncer which left him needing surgery has been sparred a jail sentence.
Damien Patrick Maguire, of Boyhill Road, admitted to charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, two counts of assault and one count of disorderly behaviour when he appeared before Fermanagh court.
Maguire was arrested twice within two months over separate incidents, one of which involved him attacking three bouncers outside a pub in Enniskillen and left one door staff member with injuries to his nose which was so severe he requires surgery.
A prosecutor explained to the court that police were on mobile patrol on October 26 last year, when they were contacted by staff members at the Blakes of the Hollow bar in the town.
When the officers arrived, they spotted Maguire, a self-employed joiner, being restrained by door staff.
After speaking with the defendant, the officers handcuffed him and took him to a police vehicle.
Two staff members made a verbal compliant about Maguire and he was arrested for assault.
One of the injured parties told officers that while Maguire was inside the bar, he approached a woman and grabbed her arm and was subsequently asked to leave the premises.
However, as Maguire was being taken out, he attempted to grab one of the door staff by the neck and he lunged towards him and attempted to head-butt him.
The defendant was pushed out through the door when he started swinging his arms and punched a bouncer on the mouth causing a laceration to his face and continued to aim punches at his head.
The court heard that the injuries suffered by Barry Moohan were so severe he is likely to require further treatment.
CCTV images of the front of the bar shows Maguire striking one of the injured parties three times and despite door staff efforts to push him away, the accused remained violent.
On October 31, Maguire returned to the police station as part of his bail conditions, and was arrested for assaulting the three staff members including Lyle Gawley and David Ferguson.
After watching the CCTV video, in which Maguire identified himself, he told officers that he could not remember what happened because he was too drunk but was shocked by his behaviour.
In a separate incident on December 15, at approximately 1.45am, police were on mobile patrol on Main Street in Lisnaskea when they spotted Maguire fighting with another man
The pair were swinging their arms and trying to punch each other, however, neither made contact.
Officers spoke with the other man who claimed that he was getting out of a taxi with his girlfriend when Maguire tried to attack him for no reason, which the girlfriend corroborated.
District Judge Nigel Broderick described the attacks as unprovoked and unjustified assaults on door staff who were ‘just trying to protect female staff and members of the public’.
He continued: “You have expressed remorse for both incidents.”
Maguire was handed a three month prison sentence suspended for two years for assaulting Mr Gawley and Mr Ferguson and was handed a five month prison sentence suspended for two years for assault occasioning actual bodily harm against Mr Moohan, and all sentences are to run concurrently.
He was also handed a three month prison sentence, suspended for two years for the charge of disorderly behaviour.
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