Fine Gael Senator John McGahon is being sued in the High Court by a man who accused him of assaulting him outside a pub six years ago.
Farmer Breen White, from Castleblaney, Co Monaghan, has sued Mr McGahon for assault and battery outside the Rum House pub in Dundalk, Co Louth, on June 16th, 2018. Mr McGahon, who was elected to the Seanad after the incident, has denied the claims.
The court also heard that in a Circuit Criminal Court trial last year, Mr McGahon, of Faughart Gardens in Dundalk, was cleared on a charge of assault causing harm to Mr White.
In his High Court civil action, Mr White claims Mr McGahon put his arm around his [White's] wife Linda and said "you are coming with me" as they left the Rum House between 2.30am and 3am.
He told a judge and jury that when he protested, Mr McGahon said "what is it to you" and he replied that she was his wife. Mr McGahon waved his hands and mumbled some words before the couple went out on the street, he said.
He said Mr McGahon then followed him on to the street, grabbed him by the arm and said "what's your problem with me". He said he replied: "I have no problem with you, go about your business".
Mr White said Mr McGahon then said "who are you, I don't know you, what's your name and I said you wouldn't know me".
He said Linda then said they did not want any hassle and Mr McGahon said he "wanted to know what your problem is". At one point, he said, Mr McGahon referred to Linda saying "is she stupid, can she not answer for herself".
Mr White, who gave evidence as pub and garda CCTV of the incident was shown to the court, said this questioning about who he was continued as the couple took shelter from the rain in an alcove outside the pub. They were waiting there for a lift from Mr White’s son having been out that night because a horse Mr White owned won at Fairyhouse.
Mr White told his counsel Barra McGrory, instructed by James McGuill solicitor, that Mr McGahon also said, "I run this town and you should know me".
Two men who were with Mr McGahon were standing nearby and Mr White said he was worried about what might happen. Mr McGahon began poking him in the chest "and his friends were telling him to leave it".
Mr White said he pushed his hand down and walked through a gap in the three men to try to walk away but Mr McGahon made a lunge at him.
"A friend of John [McGahon] was trying to hold him back, and I took Linda out of the alcove to get her away from the situation".
Asked by his counsel why he did not walk away, he said he feared Mr McGahon would have "done something from behind, he was very aggressive".
He was "making threats to me and saying I will get you and his friends were trying to pull him away", he said.
There was "some further handbag stuff" before Mr McGahon then pulled him down on the ground and punched him a number of times in the head as he lay sideways on the ground, he said. "I thought it was actually kicks I was getting at the time", he said.
Mr McGahon then tried to pull him out onto the road, he said, but his friends continued to try to get him off.
Mr White said he went back into the pub to clean the blood off his face before his son drove him to hospital. He sustained a number of cuts to his head and still has scars as a result, he said.
Some time after the incident, he heard Mr McGahon being interviewed on the local radio station as he was going forward for election,
Mr White said he denied he had ever been in a fight but a week later he gave another interview when the same question was put to him again. "He basically did not answer it up front and blamed it on a drink problem he had", Mr White said.
The trial continues.
