Man who head-butted and punched victim at Garda station said ‘alcohol is my kryptonite'
An 'out-of-control' man who head-butted and punched another man in a Dublin garda station had a drink problem and described alcohol as his 'kryptonite'.
Stephen Martin (33) and the victim had 'words' before he reacted disproportionately and attacked him in an 'ugly incident'.
Judge John Hughes jailed Martin for six months, saying the location of the assault was an aggravating factor as people went to garda stations for help and information.
Martin, of Rheban Manor, Athy, Co Kildare, pleaded guilty to assault.
Pearse Street garda station. Photo: Getty
Today's News in 90 Seconds - July 5th
Dublin District Court heard the accused was in the public office of Pearse Street garda station on June 28 last year when he was seen acting aggressively. He head-butted a man who was there and struck him with his fists to the head, Garda Sergeant Farrah Fox told the court.
The man suffered minor injuries and bruising, but did not wish to make a victim impact statement.
Martin had 180 previous convictions for offences including criminal damage and attempted robbery.
The victim had not provided any statement or co-operated with the investigation, so Martin's guilty plea was of 'some assistance,' his solicitor Kate McGhee said.
The two men were known to each other and there were 'words between them' on the day, but Martin was not trying to excuse himself and accepted his response was 'entirely disproportionate'.
'He accepts it wasn't a nice incident in any way, it was an ugly incident and he regrets his actions,' Ms McGhee said.
Martin's previous convictions 'paint a picture of a very troubled man', with a huge number of them related to alcohol. He had suffered bereavement and trauma which he struggled to deal with, and increasingly turned to alcohol over the years.
He had made attempts to deal with his drinking and had been in rehab.
In a letter to the court, Martin referred to alcohol being 'my kryptonite for a long time, but I constantly turn to it'. He also said 'there's no excuse for my behaviour'.
'It's a sad situation, he accepts his behaviour when intoxicated is out of control,' Ms McGhee said. 'He has never been able to conquer his demons.'
'If you assault a person in the public office of a garda station, there's a reasonable expectation that you will go to jail,' Judge Hughes said.
A condition of Martin's appeal bail, if he takes it up, is that he stays away from the victim.
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