An Arklow man who attacked his ex-partner's blind date with a hammer has been given an 18-month prison sentence.
David Roche (42) pleaded guilty to a charge of assault causing harm to Patrick Murphy at Heatherside, Arklow, Co Wicklow in the early hours of January 26th, 2020 contrary to Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act.
A sitting of Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court heard that Roche, an unemployed fisherman from Church Lane, Arklow had been in the home of his ex-partner, Tanya Higgins, to mind the couple’s two children while she was out socialising with a female friend and two males.
The court heard that gardaí received an emergency call at around 5.43am that a man had approached the group with a hammer and struck Mr Murphy on the chin.
They discovered the victim had suffered bleeding to his chin as well as injuries to his chest and arm.
However, it took gardaí several months before they were able to question Roche.
While he cooperated with gardaí, counsel for the DPP, James Kelly BL, said the accused had provided “a different version of events” by denying he had struck Mr Murphy with a hammer.
The court heard the three other witnesses all claimed he had a hammer at the time of the assault.
Victim impact statement
In a victim impact statement read out in court by gardaí, Mr Murphy said he had suffered anxiety attacks after being the subject of an unprovoked assault by his blind date’s ex-partner.
Mr Murphy, who comes from Portlaoise, Co Laois, said he no longer felt safe going out, particularly in Arklow.
He said he was also afraid to go on dates “in case an ex-boyfriend shows up".
The court heard Roche, who had four previous convictions, had become unemployed after the fishing trawler on which he worked had sunk.
Counsel for the accused, Edmund Sweetman BL, said Roche wished to express his remorse about what had happened and would be prepared to offer €3,000 compensation to his victim.
Mr Sweetman acknowledged that the defendant had been involved in a “very serious incident” which had psychological consequences for his victim.
He observed that Roche had flown into a rage which could not be excused, but he could offer no explanation for losing his temper.
Mr Sweetman said Roche also wanted to apologise for his “absolutely abhorrent behaviour".
He asked Judge Patrick Quinn to treat what happened as “an isolated incident".
The judge observed that Roche had only entered a guilty plea to the offence five days before he was due to go on trial in relation to the assault on Mr Murphy.
Sentencing Roche to two years in prison, Judge Quinn said he would suspend the final six months on condition that he keep the peace on his release.
