Court archive
Court reports mentioning Annagassan, Louth
2016-12-02 · Louth
Paul Mason, 28, was sentenced to two years in prison with eight months suspended after pleading guilty to assaulting Keith Lynch at Lynch's home in County Louth. The offence, committed on 16 February 2014, stemmed from a 2013 campaign in Ardee that listed Lynch's name among alleged drug dealers. On the night of the assault, Mason and two others confronted Lynch at his front door, claiming to be INLA members and demanding money. They punched, kicked and kicked Lynch to the ground, striking his face and eyes. Lynch later reported that the attackers threatened him with a deadline to pay a ransom. Mason was on bail for a prior theft conviction at the time of the assault. The Special Criminal Court, presided over by Mr Justice Tony Hunt, found aggravating factors in the pre‑planned nature of the attack and the extortion threat, but noted mitigating factors such as Mason's lack of prior convictions and his apology.
2016-11-25 · Louth
In a case heard in the Special Criminal Court, Paul Mason, aged 28, pleaded guilty to assaulting Keith Lynch on 16 February 2014 at The Saltings, Annagassan, County Louth. Mason, who had been on bail for a prior theft conviction, claimed to be a member of the INLA and told Lynch that his name was on a list of "Drug Dealers Out" that had been posted around Ardee in December 2013. According to Lynch, Mason and two other men entered his home, where Lynch was with his partner and a 14‑month‑old daughter, and began punching and kicking him. Lynch reported that Mason struck him on the left cheek and that the men were "laying into him," before they left. The court remanded Mason in custody until 2 December, when he will be sentenced. The case was presented by Detective Sergeant Peter Cooney and prosecuting counsel Caroline Cummings BL, with defense counsel Hugh Hartnett SC.
2016-11-08 · Louth
Paul Mason, 28, of Ballygarra Park, Garristown, pleaded guilty this morning in the Special Criminal Court to assault causing harm to Keith Lynch on 16 February 2014 at The Saltings, Annagassan, Co Louth, contrary to the Non‑Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997. Justice Tony Hunt, with Judges Martin Nolan and Cormac Dunne, adjourned sentencing to 25 November pending a victim impact report. Mason remains in custody and was remanded by Justice Hunt until the sentencing hearing.
2014-11-06 · Dublin
Paul Mason, 26, of Ballygarra Park, Garristown, was brought before the Special Criminal Court on 6 November 2014. He had previously been charged with membership of the Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) on 7 May 2014. At the hearing, a new charge was added: assault causing harm to a man on 16 February 2014 at The Saltings, Annagassan, Co Louth, under section 3 of the Non‑Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997. When presented with the charge sheet, Mason denied the assault. The court noted that the bail conditions attached to the original INLA charge also applied to the new assault charge. A book of evidence had been served, and the court extended legal aid to the case. Mason had been granted bail on the INLA charge in May, despite Garda objections over the amount of the independent surety. The case was scheduled for mention again on 11 December 2014.