A man who punched a vulnerable young woman twice with a closed fist has been jailed for a year.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that the incident appeared to start over the non-payment of €20 to Jordan Cawley (25) for drugs, as the woman claimed they were having a bad effect on her.
Cawley, of Kimmage Road Lower, Dublin 6, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to a woman and trespassing in a manner likely to cause fear at a business on Kimmage Road Lower, on August 22nd, 2020.
He has 37 previous convictions, including a threat to kill or cause harm to a Tesco staff member.
Passing sentence, Judge Martina Baxter said the woman, and her brother, who was also present, were “slight”, vulnerable and less strong than Cawley, noting he was “very imposing” in contrast to the siblings.
She said Cawley had no regard for anyone’s safety on the day and had punched a very vulnerable, petite and defenceless woman with a closed fist twice, knocking her to the ground.
Judge Baxter noted the pair had run into a local tyre business to hide from Cawley, who was intent on getting his money. A customer in the business had to stand out of the way. The manager of the business stood between Cawley and the pair as the woman’s brother hid behind tyres.
She noted that when gardaí arrived, the woman gave them details but did not make a complaint.
Drug use
Judge Baxter said Cawley’s life had descended into drug use and chaos at a young age following trauma he suffered over his father’s tragic death. She noted the continuing cycle of offending since he was 17 years old.
She took into account his efforts at rehabilitation and his family support.
Judge Baxter imposed an 18-month sentence and suspended the final 6 months on strict conditions, including 6 months of post-release supervision to address his educational, employment, mental health and rehabilitation needs.
Garda David Harrington told Fiona Crawford BL, prosecuting, that gardaí responded to reports of two males and a female fighting on the footpath at Kimmage Road Lower. They spoke to a young woman with significant injuries to her face, including a bloody nose, mouth and swollen cheek.
The woman told gardaí that Cawley had sold her drugs which she said had a bad effect on her. This sparked a row between herself, her brother and Cawley.
CCTV shown to the court showed the interaction with Cawley punching the woman to the face on the street and following her and her brother into a local business, where he punched her again. She fell to the ground both times.
The staff member at the business was seen standing between Cawley and the siblings, holding an implement in his hand in an effort to intervene. Another witness took a photo of the “male acting aggressively”, which he was able to provide to gardaí
Gardaí later searched Cawley’s home and recovered small amounts of cannabis and cocaine, which he admitted were his for personal use.
Cawley was interviewed by gardaí and identified himself in the photographs.
The woman did not make a victim impact statement or a complaint to gardaí and did not cooperate with the investigation.
Sarah Connolly BL, defending, said her client had a happy and wholesome childhood until the tragic death of his father, which had left him traumatised.
She said that from the age of 15, he began dabbling in drugs, and despite efforts at rehabilitation, none had come to fruition.
Counsel said he was remorseful for his actions but living a chaotic life at present. She said he needs “a wake-up call” and cannot continue as he is. She said he hopes to access support in prison and take time to work on himself in custody.
