Raymond Leonard pleads not guilty to assault causing harm

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

Raymond Leonard pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting Nicholas Devlin and causing him harm. The alleged assault took place at Anna Villa, Ranelagh, Dublin, on 30 August 2015. The proceedings were reported on 3 October 2018.

Mr Devlin said he had been ejected from McSorley’s pub after an incident involving bar staff clearing away his group’s drinks. He said he approached another group outside and had a short verbal exchange with one man, who then punched him twice in the face and kneed him in the groin. He went to hospital the next day and said doctors later told him he had a ruptured testicle. He underwent surgery to remove part of it.

Defence counsel Keith Spencer put it to Mr Devlin that there was equivocation in his description of the person he identified on CCTV. Mr Devlin said the person was the same one he had identified to gardaí during the investigation, and that his words, “I think I’m certain”, were about getting it right in court.

Prosecuting counsel Diarmuid Collins said he did not know whether self-defence would arise, but the prosecution’s case was that Mr Leonard had not acted in self-defence. He said the prosecution alleged that Mr Leonard acted in a “vindictive and malicious” manner and had taken off his shirt before the assault. The trial continued before Judge Karen O’Connor and a jury.