Ben Merriman receives suspended sentence for assault

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Ben Merriman received a fully suspended sentence for assault, trespass and criminal damage at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 13 October 2020.

Merriman pleaded guilty to the three charges.

The offences arose during a 27 March 2018 attack on a couple’s home in Balbriggan, Dublin.

Judge Melanie Greally imposed two years’ imprisonment, suspending the entire sentence for two years.

The suspension required Merriman to keep the peace and remain of good behaviour for two years.

The report said Merriman spat at the woman and kicked the man while he was on the ground, but Garda John Delaney accepted the co-accused was the main aggressor.

Delaney also accepted Merriman acted from ‘blind loyalty’ and had good reason to fear his co-accused; Merriman had no previous convictions.

The proceedings were reported on 13 October 2020.