Man used a lump of timber during a public order incident in Dundalk
A man who used a lump of timber during a public order incident in Dundalk on a summer's evening has been jailed
A man who used a lump of timber during a public order incident in Dundalk on a summer's evening has been jailed for 12 months at Dundalk Circuit Court.
The court heard that Cian Woods (32) of Bigstown, Ardee, who pleaded guilty to affray arising out of the incident on July 24th, 2024, had earlier been the victim of an assault.
Gardai were on patrol when they received a report of a man armed with a stick attacking people with it.
They saw him running topless from the Market Square towards Clanbrassil Street where he entered a pub on its corner with Market Street before he emerged from a nearby shop, having crossed through to it via a beer garden.
He took off back towards the Square but stopped at the side of the old Ulster Bank when the investigating garda told him to get onto the ground.
He was intoxicated but was no longer armed with the stick.
The garda said he established that that Mr Woods had had an altercation with another man that continued across the Square onto Earl Street and a boxing match ensued onto Park Street, causing traffic to stop.
The court heard Cian Woods has 39 previous convictions, and was under a partially suspended sentence at the time.
The Defence barrister said his client, who has two science degrees, had been the victim of an assault prior to the affray and had sustained a fracture to his cheek and has engaged with an anger management course.
He has not smoked cannabis in a number of years and his alcohol intake is virtually nil now.
Judge Dara Hayes in finalising the matter said the defendant presents as a vulnerable individual doing his best to stay out of trouble, but he lacks the capacity to regulate his emotions and has difficulty securing work as people who Google his name find out about his previous offences. He imposed a 12 month sentence for affray.
The previous case of false imprisonment and assault causing harm in Ardee, for which he was under a partially suspended sentence, when the incident occurred, was re-entered and Judge Hayes re-sentenced him to a consecutive 20 months with the final 17 months suspended. That effectively means a further three-month jail term.
The both matters had previously been adjourned until last week to allow Mr Woods complete his Masters but the barrister told the court that unusually he would not complete his exams until August and as such would be unable to complete the course.