Courts / Offaly / Report
Drug debt attacker placed on 12-month probation bond
Summary
Keelan Hand, 28, of Cyprus Grove, Birr, was placed on a 12‑month probation bond after pleading guilty to assault causing harm on 26 August 2016. The assault occurred when Hand punched a victim in the face over an alleged drug debt of €8,200. The victim withdrew his complaint, but the DPP proceeded. Judge Melanie Greally noted Hand's strong links to the criminal community and his history of addiction, mental health issues and a difficult family background. She ordered Hand to undergo probation supervision, comply with his officer's recommendations, have no contact with criminal associates, and submit to urine analysis and updated probation and psychiatric reports. Hand's 26 previous convictions include assault, drug and firearms offences, criminal damage and public order. The court adjourned the case to April next year, warning that compliance must be absolute to avoid custodial sentencing.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Drug debt attacker placed on 12-month probation bond. Charges or matters: one count of assault causing harm at Heather Grove, Clara, Tullamore, Co Offaly on August 26, 2016. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- August 26, 2016 Incident
- 2019-04-30 Publication
Why: The victim told gardaí that the accused man demanded money and said he was owed €8,200 because drugs had gone missing from the boot of his car. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: one count of assault causing harm at Heather Grove, Clara, Tullamore, Co Offaly on August 26, 2016 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Keelan Hand (28) of Cyprus Grove, Crinkill, Birr, Co Offaly, first appeared before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court last February at a sentence hearing. She noted that a probation report, which had been ordered following the sentence hearing last February, "had significant pros and cons" and that Hand had "made significant strides in addressing particular risk factors".; The judge also ordered urine analysis and updated probation and psychiatric reports before she adjourned the case to April next year. "The level of compliance will need to be absolute and extremely impressive to avoid a custodial sentence," Judge Greally advised Hand.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
Topics
Drugs Public Order Stage Sentence Violent Crime
Related court reports
- Drug user held cocaine worth €1.19m to help pay off €10k debt
- Jail for truck driver who hid €2.8m of cocaine under Lego toys
- Teacher who groomed and repeatedly raped teenager gets 8 years
- Two years for violent offender who left ex-GAA star with life-changing injuries
- Former GAA star (74) attacked in pub after asking man to leave his daughter alone
- Vehicle testing firm has conviction over fatal school bus crash upheld
If a fact, identity, locality or legal outcome needs review, email the newsroom with this report's details prefilled.
Email a correction request