Man gets four months for 'nasty' assault with hammer that left cousin with head and arm injuries
A "nasty" assault with a hammer has resulted in a young man being jailed for four months.
Judge Con O’Leary imposed the sentence on Paddy Stokes, 22, of 12 St. Anthony’s Park, Knocknaheeny, Cork, on a charge of assaulting Paddy Hogan, 26, causing him harm at Orchard Court, Blackpool, Cork, on April 29, 2016.
Paddy Hogan was sitting in a car parked near the medical centre at Orchard Court at around 11.30pm that night.
“It was claimed that a van pulled up and a male exited and approached.
"This male was identified by Paddy Hogan as being his first cousin, Paddy Stokes, who he also said had something in his hand.
“He alleged that Paddy Hogan got out of his vehicle to see what the problem was. The object was a hammer and Paddy Hogan claimed that he was struck in the head and body a number of times by Paddy Stokes,” Sergeant Gearóid Davis said at an earlier hearing in Cork District Court.
The accused sustained a head injury that required staples and some injuries to his right arm.
Defence solicitor, Joseph Cuddigan, emphasised that it had been three-and-a-half years since the assault and that there had not been further difficulties since then.
Judge Con O’Leary rejected a defence application to put the matter back or to impose a community service order and said it merited a custodial sentence as it was a nasty assault.
Mr Cuddigan said Stokes had a diminished capacity following a kick in the head from a horse when he was a child.
Judge O’Leary said: “He deserves a custodial sentence. It was a nasty assault – quite violent and calculated.”
