2018-11-12 · Tipperary
Boxer drops appeal after court warns custody could be "back on the agenda"
Sean Healy, a 28‑year‑old from Beechpark, Cahir, withdrew an appeal against a €20,000 compensation order after the Court of Appeal warned that custody could be reconsidered if he proceeded. Healy had pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to former hackney driver John Bailey in March 2017. Bailey, who had run a hackney in the Burncourt area, ended his business after the assault. Healy received a wholly suspended three‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence and was ordered to pay €20,000, with a two‑year payment period. His barrister sought to limit the appeal to the compensation order, citing the amount's burden. The Court of Appeal's President, Mr Justice George Birmingham, reminded the counsel that all aspects of the sentence, including the suspended term, could be considered, potentially bringing custody back into play. Following this, Healy chose to withdraw the appeal.