Man (37) punched and kicked an elderly man in an unprovoked attack in Dundalk

A 37-year-old man who punched an elderly man in an unprovoked attack was jailed for six months at Dundalk district court last week.

Thomas Duffy of no fixed abode was charged with assault causing harm arising out of the incident on Bridge Street, Dundalk on July 17th 2021.

The court heard last Wednesday how gardaí received a report of an assault shortly before 1am, and found the victim with head and facial injuries.

He told them he had been standing on Bridge Street when an unknown man punched him and knocked him to the ground in the middle of the road and kicked him to the face and head and stamped on him.

The assault ended when a car approached.

Judge Nicola Andrews was told Judge Derek Cooney had viewed photos of the injuries last month and accepted jurisdiction and the case was put back for a victim impact statement, but the injured party did not wish to make one.

The defendant appeared by videolink and the court heard he was in custody on a separate matter before the courts, for which he was extradited from England.

The defendant had 18 previous convictions including one for attempted robbery.

The Defence barrister said both men had had a verbal argument in a pub on Clanbrassil Street earlier in the night, and his client felt that he was defending himself.

He added he was apologetic and stressed that no weapon was used by the defendant, who was suffering with an addiction at the time, and had received residential treatment in Newcastle.

The court heard he was arrested last November and taken to Wansworth prison before being extradited in January and charged in February - and had been in custody for five months.

Judge Andrews said she was very disturbed by what went on and she would consider hitting someone while they're on the ground at the serious end of the assault scale.

She imposed a nine month sentence, with the final three months suspended on him entering a bond to be of good behaviour for two years and adjourned the case to next Wednesday so he could be produced in person to sign the bond.