Eugene Hanratty Snr jailed for assault causing harm

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

Eugene Hanratty Snr was sentenced to four years, with the final year suspended, at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on 8 November 2022 for assault causing harm. Judge Melanie Greally imposed the suspension on condition that he have no contact with Martin McAllister or his family for the next decade.

He had pleaded not guilty. The proceedings were reported on 8 November 2022. A jury unanimously convicted him in October 2022 following his third trial. The first trial ended without a verdict, while the second collapsed after the jury was discharged.

The assault happened in Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, on 24 November 2012, when he attacked Martin McAllister. The victim suffered multiple facial fractures, fractures to both eye sockets and permanent loss of peripheral vision.

Judge Melanie Greally said the jury rejected his defence of justified use of force following a physical altercation over duck shooting rights on local lands. She treated the assault as unprovoked and premeditated.

The judge set a five-year headline sentence before considering mitigation, including his lack of recent convictions, otherwise good character, family and community contributions, age and mental health difficulties. She said there was no tangible expression of remorse, but accepted imprisonment would severely affect his family. Padraig Dwyer SC, defending, said his client did not fully accept the verdict but accepted that he acted and used excessive violence.

In October 2016, a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court acquitted Eugene Hanratty Junior of assault causing harm to Martin McAllister. The State’s case was that he had not participated in the physical beating; he had been charged on the basis of joint enterprise.