Cork man headbutted victim for 'skipping the queue' after Christmas party
Detective Sergeant Pat Lyons outlined this evidence at Cork Circuit Criminal Court where Cathal Lyons, aged 28, of Clonpriest East, Youghal, Co Cork, pleaded guilty to a charge of assault causing harm to the other man during a social event at Rochestown Park Hotel.
A number of different companies were out for a joint Christmas party dinner dance back on December 16, 2023. People who were staying in the hotel that night were in a queue to get to the residents-only part of the hotel after the event when the altercation occurred.
Det Sgt Lyons said the injured party was called forward in the queue by a number of his friends who were ahead of him but Mr Lyons reacted to what he saw as 'skipping the queue'. He headbutted the other man, caught him in a headlock and bit one of his fingers.
When identified on CCTV and questioned, the defendant had no recollection, no explanation and could only apologise unreservedly for entirely out-of-character behaviour.
Judge Sinead Behan imposed a one-year suspended sentence, noting that alcohol played a huge role in what occurred, he paid €5,000 compensation to the injured party and has given up drink since the incident occurred.
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Irish Daily Mirror
20 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Off-duty bouncer "no longer the same man" after violent hotel assault
An off-duty bouncer who was violently attacked by two men whom he had previously barred from a hotel in Arklow is 'no longer the same man' after being forced into early retirement due to the severity of his injuries. A Polish national who attacked the victim near his workplace while he was off-duty on Christmas Eve five years ago was sentenced to three years in prison for the attack. A sitting of Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court heard that the victim had suffered serious facial injuries after being struck in the head with a bottle on Main Street, Arklow on December 24, 2019. Mateusz Gorecki (31), of Ferrybank, Arklow, Co Wicklow pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Paul Lee, contrary to Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997. The unemployed male, who has been living in Ireland for 14 years, also pleaded guilty to a separate charge of production of an article capable of inflicting serious injury on the same date. Garda Emmet Furlong gave evidence that the injured man was sitting in his car outside the Royal Hotel on Main Street, Arklow at around 10pm on Christmas Eve five years ago to collect his partner from work. Garda Furlong said Mr Lee saw Gorecki and another male, with whom he had interactions in the past in his role as a bouncer at the hotel. The witness said the two men had been barred from the premises by Mr Lee as a result of a previous incident. He told the court that Mr Lee felt the two men, one of whom seemed to have a bottle in his hand, were glaring at him before they walked up and down past his vehicle on the other side of the road. Garda Furlong told prosecution counsel, James Kelly, BL that the bouncer got out of his car to go to speak to the pair. Video footage of the incident was played in court which showed that Gorecki attempted to hit Mr Lee before throwing a bottle at his head. The accused's companion had punched and kicked the victim between the two actions by Gorecki. The court heard that Mr Lee was referred to three different hospitals over the Christmas holiday period for treatment for his injuries. Garda Furlong said the victim suffered fractures to his skull, eye socket and cheekbone and required surgery to implant three plates in his face. He told Mr Kelly that Gorecki was 'nonplussed' by what happened when arrested and claimed he had not thrown a bottle. The witness said the accused was still of the view that the bottle had not hit Mr Lee, despite the video evidence. The court heard that Gorecki had no previous convictions at the time of the assault on the bouncer but had subsequently been convicted of two public order offences for being intoxicated in a public place. Cross-examined by defence counsel, Feargal Kavanagh SC, as to who was the principal protagonist in the assault, Garda Furlong said Gorecki caused the most damage but his accomplice, who received an 18-month prison sentence for his role, was 'more of a leader.' The court heard Gorecki had been drinking at a party in his sister's house in Arklow earlier on Christmas Eve. In a victim impact statement, which was read on his behalf by his son, Mr Lee (54) said he had been a proud, hard-working man before the attack but had been forced into early retirement by an act of unprovoked violence. He told the court that the assault had not just caused him the normal physical agony but had devastated his life entirely. Mr Lee said the psychological effects were 'insidious and even more profound' and he had suffered chronic and persistent damage. The court heard he suffers from seizures and 'insufferable headaches' as well as blurred vision and post-traumatic stress disorder. 'I do not recognise myself,' said Mr Lee. The Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every week He claimed that work provided him with structure, identity and pride but he was now 'no longer the same man' as every aspect of his life had been affected. Mr Lee said his family had also suffered as they were looking at a person who had 'faded into someone unrecognisable.' 'The emotional toll is impossible to fully explain,' he added. He described the assault as not a momentary injury but 'a permanent turning point in my life.' Mr Lee urged Judge John Martin for any sentence to reflect the seriousness of Gorecki's offending which had 'taken the remaining years of my life.' Pleading for leniency, Mr Kavanagh said Gorecki came from a relatively poor background and had suffered a lot of tragedy. The court heard his father died when he was very young, while his mother died last year and a brother was killed in a motorcycle accident in Ireland a few years ago. Mr Kavanagh said the defendant had also expressed remorse and shame for what he described as a 'one-off incident.' He said Gorecki was assessed as being at a moderate risk of reoffending which he believed was linked to his difficulty in finding employment. However, Mr Kavanagh said the accused had recently received the offer of a job at Arklow Golf Club. The barrister said Gorecki had also reduced his alcohol intake and had not committed any other offences since 2023. While not seeking to blame Mr Lee for what happened, Mr Kavanagh said the bouncer had stood 'toe to toe' with the accused and spoke into their faces. Sentencing Gorecki to three and a half years in prison for the assault offence, Judge Martin suspended the final six months for a period of 12 months on condition that the accused place himself under the supervision of the Probation Service on his release from prison for two years and remain free of alcohol for that period. The judge observed that the accused had only demonstrated partial responsibility for an offence that was 'quick and drink-fuelled' but whose effects were 'lasting and very significant.' He said Mr Lee had suffered most horrific injuries in an attack where Gorecki had delivered 'the first and last blow.' The judge noted that the defendant had only entered guilty pleas after a jury had been sworn in to hear his trial. He also took into account that Gorecki had made no concrete expression of remorse or any offer to make amends. The judge offered his best wishes to Mr Lee and expressed hope that the finalisation of the case would bring him some closure. Sign up to the Irish Mirror's Courts and Crime newsletter here and get breaking crime updates and news from the courts direct to your inbox.
Sunday World
a day ago
- Sunday World
Bouncer ‘no longer the same' after violent assault by men he barred from Wicklow hotel
Mateusz Gorecki (31), of Ferrybank, Arklow, Co Wicklow pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Paul Lee. An off-duty bouncer who was violently attacked by two men whom he had previously barred from a hotel in Arklow is 'no longer the same man' after being forced into early retirement due to the severity of his injuries. A Polish national who attacked the victim near his workplace while he was off-duty on Christmas Eve five years ago was sentenced to three years in prison for the attack. A sitting of Wicklow Circuit Criminal Court heard that the victim had suffered serious facial injuries after being struck in the head with a bottle on Main Street, Arklow on December 24, 2019. Mateusz Gorecki (31), of Ferrybank, Arklow, Co Wicklow pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Paul Lee, contrary to Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against The Person Act 1997. The unemployed male, who has been living in Ireland for 14 years, also pleaded guilty to a separate charge of production of an article capable of inflicting serious injury on the same date. Garda Emmet Furlong gave evidence that the injured man was sitting in his car outside the Royal Hotel on Main Street, Arklow at around 10pm on Christmas Eve five years ago to collect his partner from work. A suitcase in a luxury hotel room News in 90 Seconds - July 25th Garda Furlong said Mr Lee saw Gorecki and another male, with whom he had interactions in the past in his role as a bouncer at the hotel. The witness said the two men had been barred from the premises by Mr Lee as a result of a previous incident. He told the court that Mr Lee felt the two men, one of whom seemed to have a bottle in his hand, were glaring at him before they walked up and down past his vehicle on the other side of the road. Garda Furlong told prosecution counsel, James Kelly, BL that the bouncer got out of his car to go to speak to the pair. Video footage of the incident was played in court which showed that Gorecki attempted to hit Mr Lee before throwing a bottle at his head. The accused's companion had punched and kicked the victim between the two actions by Gorecki. The court heard that Mr Lee was referred to three different hospitals over the Christmas holiday period for treatment for his injuries. Garda Furlong said the victim suffered fractures to his skull, eye socket and cheekbone and required surgery to implant three plates in his face. He told Mr Kelly that Gorecki was 'nonplussed' by what happened when arrested and claimed he had not thrownOff a bottle. The witness said the accused was still of the view that the bottle had not hit Mr Lee, despite the video evidence. The court heard that Gorecki had no previous convictions at the time of the assault on the bouncer but had subsequently been convicted of two public order offences for being intoxicated in a public place. Asked under cross-examination by defence counsel, Feargal Kavanagh SC, who was the principal protagonist in the assault, Garda Furlong said Gorecki caused the most damage but his accomplice, who received an 18-month prison sentence for his role, was 'more of a leader.' The court heard Gorecki had been drinking at a party in his sister's house in Arklow earlier on Christmas Eve. In a victim impact statement, which was read on his behalf by his son, Mr Lee (54) said he had been a proud, hard-working man before the attack but had been forced into early retirement by an act of unprovoked violence. He told the court that the assault had not just caused him the normal physical agony but had devastated his life entirely. Mr Lee said the psychological effects were 'insidious and even more profound' and he had suffered chronic and persistent damage. The court heard he suffers from seizures and 'insufferable headaches' as well as blurred vision and post-traumatic stress disorder. 'I do not recognise myself,' said Mr Lee. He claimed that work provided him with structure, identity and pride but he was now 'no longer the same man' as every aspect of his life had been affected. Mr Lee said his family had also suffered as they were looking at a person who had 'faded into someone unrecognisable.' 'The emotional toll is impossible to fully explain,' he added. He described the assault as not a momentary injury but 'a permanent turning point in my life.' Mr Lee urged Judge John Martin for any sentence to reflect the seriousness of Gorecki's offending which had 'taken the remaining years of my life.' Pleading for leniency, Mr Kavanagh said Gorecki came from a relatively poor background and had suffered a lot of tragedy. The court heard his father died when he was very young, while his mother died last year and a brother was killed in a motorcycle accident in Ireland a few years ago. Mr Kavanagh said the defendant had also expressed remorse and shame for what he described as a 'one-off incident.' He said Gorecki was assessed as being at a moderate risk of reoffending which he believed was linked to his difficulty in finding employment. However, Mr Kavanagh said the accused had recently received the offer of a job at Arklow Golf Club. The barrister said Gorecki had also reduced his alcohol intake and had not committed any other offences since 2023. While not seeking to blame Mr Lee for what happened, Mr Kavanagh said the bouncer had stood 'toe to toe' with the accused and spoke into their faces. Sentencing Gorecki to three and a half years in prison for the assault offence, Judge Martin suspended the final six months for a period of 12 months on condition that the accused place himself under the supervision of the Probation Service on his release from prison for two years and remain free of alcohol for that period. The judge observed that the accused had only demonstrated partial responsibility for an offence that was 'quick and drink-fuelled' but whose effects were 'lasting and very significant.' He said Mr Lee had suffered most horrific injuries in an attack where Gorecki had delivered 'the first and last blow.' The judge noted that the defendant had only entered guilty pleas after a jury had been sworn in to hear his trial. He also took into account that Gorecki had made no concrete expression of remorse or any offer to make amends. The judge offered his best wishes to Mr Lee and expressed hope that the finalisation of the case would bring him some closure.
Irish Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Mum on death row for killing husband as son watched has 'disgusting' hobby
A British mum is languishing on death row, facing execution by hanging, for the murder of her husband after allegedly drugging his biryani and slitting his throat in front of their nine-year-old son. Ramandeep Kaur Mann, from Derby, was convicted of conspiring with her lover to kill her husband Sukhjit Singh, 34, while they were on holiday in 2016 with their two children, according to the Daily Mail. The judge at her trial at Shahjahanpur District Court determined Mann slit Sukhjit's throat after he fell into a deep sleep - aided by her lover Gurpeet Singh. The gruesome crime is believed to have been driven by financial motives. Prior to his death, Mann had taken out a £2million life insurance policy for her husband and was also set to inherit his property. Mann was found guilty in October 2023, with her son's testimony proving pivotal. Her lawyers are now arguing that her son was 'coached' to provide false evidence that he witnessed the murder, reports the Mirror. Mann's legal team has initiated an appeal with a document alleging that Arjun - now aged 18 - was supposedly instructed what to say by his grandmother Bans Kaur - Sukhjit's mother and Mann's mother-in-law. The Daily Mail reports that the document also alleges collusion with police and relatives to concoct the case against her. Mann has consistently denied committing the murder. She claims she was set up by her husband's family who, she claims, were the actual murderers of Sukhjit as they wanted to stop him from selling land he owned in India. Gurpreet Singh was said to be the killer's lover Currently detained at Shahjahanpur District Jail in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, Mann is sharing dormitory-style accommodation with 55 other female inmates. Since her imprisonment, Mann has begun painting and her appeal emerges as fresh images show her displaying her creations whilst meeting local dignitaries, as her standing as an artist grows increasingly recognised. She encountered local officials who toured the jail earlier this year to commemorate India's Republic Day, just weeks following Mann's participation in a Christmas showcase of her prison artwork. Charity representatives have also visited Mann to observe her creations, which include a vibrant array of sketches and paintings, though not everyone welcomes the development of Mann's newfound artistic abilities. Bans Kaur, Sukhjit's mother, told MailOnline: "She does not deserve any applause and has no right to celebrate Christmas or any other occasion while I continue to suffer. I will be speaking to the jail officials about this. For the sins that she has committed, she should be suffering in a cell not being given a chance to paint and have a comfortable life. "She is a cunning and evil woman, and I don't believe for one minute she has changed. This [her art] is all being done for her appeal against the death sentence and is an attempt to win favour with the jail authorities. It's absolutely disgusting. "It's ludicrous to suggest that I 'coached' Arjun and got him to lie. He gave a very lengthy statement which had a lot of detail in it. How could we have got him to fabricate all this? How can you instruct any teenager what to say? We will be contesting this appeal because there is no doubt that this woman murdered my son. "I will battle to the end to secure justice for my son because what this woman did is unforgivable. I don't care how skilled she is at art or what a model prisoner she has become because it means nothing." Following his mother's conviction, Arjun told MailOnline he did not regret testifying against Mann and that he wanted to watch her hang. He said he witnessed his mother suffocate his father with a pillow before her lover Gurpreet hit Sukhjit in the head with a hammer and Mann then cut her husband's throat.
