Louth boxer jailed for town centre assault – ‘I’m doing all this training, I have to use it when I need to’

By Francis Carroll, The Drogheda Independent

A 21-year-old boxer who seriously assaulted another man has been sent to prison for one year and three months.

Cian Quinn McDonagh, Castleross, Castletown Road, Dundalk, pleaded guilty to a charge of assault causing harm at the town’s Market Square two years ago.

He told gardaí following his arrest that he had acted in self-defence.

“I’m doing all this training. I have to use it when I need to,” the defendant said.

Det Gda John McCarthy gave evidence to a sentence hearing at Dundalk Circuit Court that on September 27, 2023, the victim was with friends at the Square.

Mr Quinn McDonagh approached. The other man knew him from the boxing club.

The defendant demanded that he hand over his phone and when he refused, slapped him with an open hand before punching him on the nose.

The victim hit back before a co-accused ran over and began to choke him from behind. He passed out to shouts of “Choke him out, choke him out”.

The attack was witnessed by a worker in the nearby Tourist Office. When she said that she was going to phone the guards, Mr Quinn McDonagh told her not to.

This woman saw the injured man slump to the ground. His face was white and he was shaken.

He suffered a fractured nose and required stitches to his eyebrows.

Det Gda McCarthy continued that CCTV from various locations did not capture the incident but placed the accused in the area.

He was arrested on the following October 12 and taken to Dundalk Garda Station where he maintained self-defence.

“I’m doing all this training. I have to use it when I need to,” he said.

“I don’t know what I did. I was concussed. It should be him here and not me.”

He subsequently got High Court bail.

There are three previous convictions.

In a Victim Impact Statement the other man said, “I now go around with my head on a swivel.”

He said the assault has been hard on him and his family. He no longer wanted to go out.

Barrister Stephen Faulkner said that his client’s conduct went far beyond self-defence.

He is a father of two children, the youngest having turned one the day before this court appearance.

Mr Quinn McDonagh had a traumatic upbringing because of his brother’s schizophrenia.

He had developed an addiction to “street tablets”.

Counsel asked for time for the defendant to address this issue and anger management.

Judge Dara Hayes noted that he denied any wrongdoing to a probation officer.

Mr Faulkner conceded that “nothing is set in stone”.

Judge Hayes noted that Mr Quinn McDonagh, second youngest of five children, kept one out of three appointments with the Probation Service.

It was reported that he had limited remorse and was not motivated to engage.

He was assessed as at high risk of reoffending.

A 2-year, 3-month sentence was imposed, the final 12 months suspended, and backdated to October 25 last.

The defendant must place himself under Probation Service supervision for 12 months post-release, among other conditions.