2024-06-12 · Dublin
Plumber avoids jail for leaving man with brain bleed after Paddy's Day trad music row
A plumber, Gavin Dennan, 39, was given a three‑year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to assault causing harm for head‑butting a man in a pub toilet on St Patrick's Day. The victim suffered a mild brain bleed after being knocked to the ground outside the Grange pub in Deansgrange. Judge Pauline Codd ordered Dennan to pay €1,000 to the victim as a token of remorse, with the money going to a charity if the victim declined. Dennan, who had no prior convictions and was described as a family man, expressed remorse and said he acted out of character after a heated argument about Irish traditional music. The court heard that the victim was heavily intoxicated, was hospitalized, and later recovered, but did not file a victim impact report. Ten testimonials supporting Dennan's good character were presented. The case was heard in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.