AN ENNISKILLEN man who broke another man’s cheek bone in a ‘one punch’ assault in the town last Christmas has been given probation.
Ryan Sheridan (26) of Ashdale, Chanterhill, appeared at Enniskillen Magistrates Court on Monday having pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm (GBH).
The charge arose from an incident on Sunday, December 22 last year. At around 11.30pm door staff at Pat’s Bar in Enniskillen called police to say a man had been assaulted. When they attended the scene the injured party, who suffered a fractured cheek and required treatment, told police it had been Sheridan who assaulted him. The defendant was arrested for GBH.
Police reviewed CCTV in the area which the court was told clearly showed Sheridan approaching the man outside Granny Annie’s bar and striking him on the left side of his face.
Sheridan was interviewed by police twice and while he gave no comment in his first interview when the CCTV footage was shown to him, along with the statement from Pat’s doormen, he admitted it was him on camera but denied assault.
Sheridan said it looked like the injured party had said something to him, but he said he couldn’t remember as he had been very drunk at the time.
Defence barrister Ciaran Roddy said Sheridan accepted it had been “an absolutely disgraceful incident” and did not seek to take away from how serious it was.
With regard sentencing, Mr Roddy asked the court to consider the fact that there were no aggravating factors to the incident, such as the use of a weapon, and that the incident had been short.
Mr Roddy also asked the court to take Sheridan’s early guilty plea, his limited previous record, and the fact he was ashamed and remorseful for what he had done, into account. He said Sheridan, who earns around £2,000 a month, had raised £750 in compensation for the injured man.
District Judge Steven Keown said “one punch can result in death” and said Sheridan “could have worse on his conscience.”
Judge Keown said the case clearly passed the custody threshold, but said it was clear Sheridan was remorseful. He sentenced Sheridan to 18 months probation, and ordered him to pay £750 in compensation to the injured party.
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