Man who attacked relative with hatchet to be sentenced later
A young married father who attacked his relative with a hatchet outside a church before a family baptism will be sentenced later at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
The parish priest separated Martin Maughan (aged 20) from his cousin-in-law Mr Martin Sweeney, who had tried to flee into the church.
The injured party claimed that Maughan, with a temporary address at Hanover Quay, Dublin 2, drove into the church carpark at speed and "clipped" him with his car before the hatchet attack.
Maughan pleaded guilty to assaulting his cousin-in-law at Mount Argus Church carpark, Lower Kimmage Road, Dublin 6 on February 17, 2008.
Garda John Walshe said Maughan stopped his car, ran to the boot and pulled out a "foot-long" hatchet before advancing on Mr Sweeney, who is a trained boxer.
Gda Walshe agreed with defence counsel, Mr Justin McQuade BL, that his client's "petty grievance" with Mr Sweeney arose from a "perceived slight at an earlier family function".
He told prosecution counsel, Mr Tony McGillicuddy BL, that Maughan "swiped" the hatchet at the injured party before the "tousle", which was broken up by the priest outside the church doors.
Mr Sweeney attended hospital six days later with liaisons on his chest from contact with the hatchet but suffered no serious injuries.
Judge Desmond Hogan conceded that the incident "sounded an awful lot worse that what actually happened" and indicated he would impose a two-year suspended sentence and 240 hours community service on the next date.
