Courts / Dublin / Report
'Danger to society' further jailed for head-butting cemetery flower seller
Summary
A 31‑year‑old man, Alan Melia, was sentenced to two years in prison for head‑butting a veteran flower seller at Palmerstown Cemetery on 15 December 2020. Melia, who was on bail at the time, had pleaded guilty to assault causing harm. He had 113 prior convictions and was already serving a seven‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence for a 2020 robbery. The victim, a man who had sold flowers outside the cemetery for 40 years, suffered broken glasses, a cut on his nose and required stitches. Judge Orla Crowe imposed a headline sentence of three years, suspended the final year, and directed the two‑year term to run consecutively with the sentence Melia is currently serving. The judge noted the assault's profound psychological impact on the single victim and ordered Melia to remain under Probation Services supervision for two years after release. The robbery sentence will expire in May 2026.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: 'Danger to society' further jailed for head-butting cemetery flower seller. Charges or matters: assault causing harm on December 15, 2020. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- December 15, 2020 Incident
- May 2026 Other
- 2025-03-19 Publication
Why: Drug use was the reason for Melia's offending, said Mr Spencer. CNI source report
Case subjects
Accused
Charges: assault causing harm on December 15, 2020 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Judge Orla Crowe set a headline sentence of three years and suspended the final year of it on strict conditions. She directed the two year sentence is to run consecutive to the sentence Melia is currently serving. "This was a horrible assault on a man who for 40 years had a flower stand outside a cemetery," said the judge. "That is a really important and sensitive role that this man was doing in society," she added.
Places mentioned
- Cherry Orchard Avenue
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- St James' Hospital
- Mountjoy
- Mountjoy Prison
Topics
Stage Sentence Theft Violent Crime
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