Courts / Dublin / Report
Father-of-six is jailed for claw hammer attack on man in Nando's
Summary
Martin Maughan, aged 28, was sentenced to 18 months in prison for assaulting Michael Reilly in a Nando's restaurant on 7 May 2017. Maughan used a claw hammer to strike Reilly multiple times, chased him into the car park, struck him again and sprayed pepper spray. He pleaded guilty to assault and possession of a weapon. Maughan claimed he acted because Reilly had verbally insulted his daughter, who has spina bifida, calling her legs crooked and spine twisted. The court noted Maughan's 15 prior convictions and his alcohol addiction. Judge Melanie Greally accepted his guilty plea and remorse, ordered anger‑management, offending‑behaviour and addiction programmes, and imposed a 10‑year restriction on contact with the Reilly family. The sentence was three years with 18 months suspended, leaving an effective custodial term of 18 months.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Father-of-six is jailed for claw hammer attack on man in Nando's. Charges or matters: assaulting Mr Reilly at Omni Park Shopping Centre, Santry on May 7, 2017 and to producing a hammer as a weapon; address his alcohol addiction. "His very tightly knit family have been in court each day with him and they share the misery of what he did," he said. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- May 7, 2017 Incident
- 2017-11-21 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: assaulting Mr Reilly at Omni Park Shopping Centre, Santry on May 7, 2017 and to producing a hammer as a weapon; address his alcohol addiction. "His very tightly knit family have been in court each day with him and they share the misery of what he did," he said (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: She sentenced him to three years in prison with the final 18 months suspended, and directed that he complete anger management, an offending behaviour programme and an addiction programme while in custody.
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