Kilmessan man jailed for assault on woman

“What was I to do?” asked a 22 year-old man regarding punching a woman three times when she approached him.

Harvey Jackson (22), from Bective Avenue, Bective Lodge, Kilmessan appeared before Judge Eirinn McKiernan on Tuesday after he was not present in July when evidence was heard of an assault by him in Trim District Court.

Judge McKiernan convicted and issued a bench warrant for his arrest on the earlier date.

Judge McKiernan recalled the evidence of the lady having and dropping a bar and made a beeline for him. As soon as she got into his space, the defendant punched her three times. The defendant asked then what was he to do.

The case arose from an incident on 4th April last year at Dunshaughlin Park.

His solicitor Dermot Monaghan explained that the defendant was back from Ukraine where he had been fighting on the front for two months.

The defendant told the court he wasn’t living at home for a while and mixed up court dates. When in Ukraine he received an email from his solicitor. He couldn’t have left Ukraine because he was mobilised.

Judge McKiernan commented she was “not one bit impressed” and that it was “terrible and despicable “what he did on the lady.

Judge McKiernan said she took into account the way the defendant met the case, didn’t turn up, and had previous convictions.

She imposed a four month jail term on the defendant. She also disqualified him from driving for four years in respect of a separate motor insurance matter. Bail was fixed of self €300 and independent surety of €1,000 cash to be lodged in court for appeal.

On the July hearing date the injured party told that she went down to the park. She picked up a stick as there was a large group in the park. She threw away the stick and as she approached the defendant he punched her three times in the face and ran away.

An independent witness told the court that he “heard a ruckus” while walking his dog in the park. He saw the injured party holding a golf club. She dropped the club and made a beeline towards the defendant.

Solicitor Dermot Monaghan suggested that it looked like the defendant was defending himself as the injured party came into his personal space.

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