'Pillar of community' who left musician neighbour with multiple broken bones after brutal attack to remain in jail

A 65-year-old man from Castleblayney Road, Crossmaglen, County Armagh, has failed in his appeal against conviction and sentence for assault causing harm. The Court of Appeal dismissed both applications on 21 March 2024. The man was convicted by jury in October 2022 following a trial at Castleblayney, County Monaghan, relating to an assault on 24 November 2012. The victim sustained multiple broken bones to his face and eye sockets, and permanent loss of peripheral vision in one eye. The defence had sought to have the case withdrawn from the jury, citing alleged deficiencies in the Garda investigation. The Court of Appeal found no basis to doubt the fairness of the trial or safety of the verdict. The three-year sentence imposed by the trial judge was upheld as proportionate. The Court of Appeal took the opportunity to deprecate the developing practice of defence applications to withdraw cases from juries being made as a matter of course.