Community service for assault at house party in Dundalk

A man who seriously assaulted another man at a house party was sentenced at Dundalk district court last week to carry out 200 hours community service in lieu of a four-month sentence.

Dean Reid (27) with an address at Beau Park, The Loakers, Blackrock was charged with assault causing harm arising out of the incident at Clontygora Court, Dundalk on December 12th 2020.

The injured party, who told gardaí who came upon him with a bloodied face that he had fallen and hit a kerb, presented himself at the Garda station two days later, to say he had been assaulted at a house party and named the defendant as his assailant.

In evidence, the man said it was the first time he had met Dean Reid.

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He told how he has been left with a scar on his forehead and he's been left with anxiety.

He added he was scared to go to the shop near Oriel Park "in case I'm jumped or assaulted".

The Defence solicitor said there had been a perception of the injured party causing an 'irritation' and something inappropriate had happened and his client had struck the victim, but stressed that it was accepted that there wasn't anything untoward involving the complainant.

This week the Defence solicitor stressed that his client hasn’t come to Garda attention since and explained that his client is a street musician in receipt of State assistance, who has ambitions of giving lessons and while he has given them in a local school, he wasn’t getting paid and it had been made clear that compensation would not be forthcoming.

After being told the defendant was assessed as being suitable for community service, Judge Eirinn McKiernan made an order for 200 hours in lieu of a four-month sentence.