A young farmer who left a man with a head injury following a one-punch attack in a mistaken row over a taxi has offered his victim €15,000 as a gesture of his remorse.
Kyle Leeper appeared at Letterkenny Circuit Court where he admitted to attacking Don Rowan on February 20th, 2022.
The court heard how the victim had got into a car at Lower Main Street in Letterkenny with his wife and friends after mistakenly thinking it was a taxi.
Leeper (25) came out of a nearby bar with his girlfriend and also tried to get into the car as it was driven by his girlfriend's dad.
A row ensued and there was some 'slagging' before Mr Rowan was struck with one punch by Leeper.
Garda Sergeant Maurice Doyle gave evidence that the victim fell backwards onto the pavement and banged his head.
He was put in an ambulance but felt okay and did not go to hospital.
However, the following day, he was vomiting and went to Letterkenny University Hospital before being transferred to Dublin's Beaumont Hospital, where a neurological team found he suffered a displaced fracture and other facial injuries.
He was off work for three months as a result of the injuries he sustained in the attack.
Gardaí launched an investigation and CCTV was harvested from local premises while pictures of the victim were also taken.
Leeper, of Carrickbrack, Convoy, was interviewed by Gardaí and claimed the incident was "a self defence sort of thing".
They had just come out of Voodoo on Lower Main Street in Letterkenny and had about eight drinks.
He explained how himself and his girlfriend were due to get a lift home from her dad but that other people had got into the car and that names were "flying in" but nothing bad had happened.
No direct reference was made to Leeper striking Mr Rowan, but he said this was the first time something like this had happened to him and that he never wanted it to happen again.
Leeper pleaded guilty to assaulting Don Rowan and causing him harm on February 20th, 2022, at Lower Main Street, Letterkenny.
Barrister for Leeper, Mr Peter Nolan BL, said his client had no previous convictions, had never been in trouble before and worked as a farm contractor having a degree in agricultural science.
He lives with his girlfriend in a mobile home and they have recently had a son.
Mr Nolan said "I would suggest this is a young man who never got in any bother before, is hard-working and on this occasion he made a bad decision.
"He committed a criminal act but is not a criminal. Yes, I agree that throwing one punch can lead to devastating consequences and, in some ways, he is lucky that Mr Rowan is not more seriously injured."
Leeper took to the witness stand and told the court that he would like to say sorry to his victim.
"I'd just like to say sorry and say I have learned a lesson, and it will not happen again. It was a spur of the moment thing," he said.
His barrister, Mr Nolan, told the court that his client was also offering his victim of €15,000 which he has borrowed from his parents and which he will pay back.
He said his client had suffered psychologically from the incident and was on antidepressants.
He added "He was a happy-go-lucky young man, educated, but this has blighted him. He wants to move on with his life, and he wants Mr Rowan to realise that he did not mean to do this."
Two references were handed into court on behalf of Leeper, one from Gibson Farm Services and one from Councillor Frank McBrearty, both of which spoke very positively of Leeper.
Meanwhile, a Probation Report on Leeper said there had been no reoffending and put him at a low risk of reoffending in the future.
Judge John Aylmer said he would like the victim to be canvassed to get his opinion on the offer of €15,000 and also time to read the Probation Report and consider the matter.
He adjourned the case for sentence until next week.
