Courts / Dublin / Report

'Bad blood' saw man knock elderly neighbour off ladder

Date
2024-12-03

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Dublin

County
Dublin

Summary

A 65‑year‑old man, Ciaran Watters, received a suspended two‑year sentence after he struck his elderly neighbour, Patrick Dunne, with a shovel while Dunne was trimming a hedge on their shared boundary. The assault occurred on 14 June 2021 when Dunne was on a ladder leaning against a wooden fence; Watters hit the fence twice, causing Dunne to fall flat on his back. Dunne, who has had two hip replacements, suffered pain, anxiety and flashbacks, and now requires medication for his spine. Watters, who had a prior assault conviction, admitted alcohol influence, completed an inpatient addiction course, and offered €5,000 to Dunne. The judge imposed a three‑year suspended sentence with conditions to refrain from interfering with neighbours and to pay the compensation. The unnamed 65-year-old pleaded guilty.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: 'Bad blood' saw man knock elderly neighbour off ladder. Charges or matters: assaulting Patrick Dunne causing him harm at the boundary between their homes on Drumcondra Road in Dublin on June 14, 2021. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

June 14, 2021 Hearing Or Sentence
2024-12-03 Publication

Case subjects

Unnamed 65-year-old

Defendant

Charges: assaulting Patrick Dunne causing him harm at the boundary between their homes on Drumcondra Road in Dublin on June 14, 2021 (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: A 65-year-old man has been given a suspended sentence for knocking his elderly neighbour – who previously had a double hip replacement – off a ladder as he trimmed the hedge between their two back gardens. She proposed a sentence of two years, but fully suspended it for three years on a number of conditions.