Brothers jailed after assault on holiday duo

TWO brothers terrorised a couple on a holiday night out in Ballydehob during an horrific attack, in which a woman was punched in the face and her partner was kicked 15 times in the head.

At Cork Circuit Criminal Court, Michael Delaney, 22, and John Delaney, 24 (brothers who reside at the halting site at Reenrour West in Bantry), both pleaded guilty to engaging in a violent affray and assault causing harm to the man.

Michael Delaney pleaded guilty, additionally, to assault causing harm to the woman.

Garda Anthony Roche said members of the Delaney family were drinking in Ballydehob on the night of August 3^rd, 2019. Elsewhere in the village a couple who knew nothing of the Delaneys were also out socialising on what was a bank holiday weekend, the garda said.

As the couple were walking through the village, the man was making a phone call and he had the phone knocked out of his hand by someone passing him. Garda Roche said the man’s partner did everything she could to stop an altercation escalating after that.

‘Neither of them could have been aware at that time of the extent of violence that would be shown to them,’ Garda Roche said.

The woman sustained a ‘scissors-kick’ to the head from Michael Delaney, Garda Roche said, adding she also got a punch to the face.

The man got ‘four driving kicks to the head’ from John Delaney and nine kicks to the head from Michael Delaney.

Garda Roche said that as the man lay on the ground defenceless, both brothers kicked him once each in the head before they walked away. ‘He was not showing any movement when they both kicked him in the head,’ Garda Roche said.

When they were arrested, they refused to answer questions during three interviews. Both had previous convictions for assault.

Garda Roche said: ‘The two injured parties have chosen not to make victim impact statements. They are afraid of repercussions.’

The assaulted woman sustained a fractured right ankle.

A total of €2,000 compensation was given to the injured parties.

The judge was told John Delaney had done fundraising for charity and had not been drinking since and that Michael Delaney was also extremely remorseful.

Judge Ó Donnabháin said: ‘They decided to terrorise people in the holiday village of Ballydehob in the month of August. A considerable amount of violence was used against people who are innocent and unprotected.’

Michael Delaney was jailed for 18 months for engaging in a violent affray and assault causing harm to the man and woman. John Delaney was sentenced to 12 months for violent affray and assault causing harm to the man.