Man charged with mum’s assault was under care

BY OLIVIA KELLEHER

A 31-YEAR-old man appeared before a special sitting of Bandon District Court in West Cork at the weekend, charged with assault causing harm to his mother at a house in Innishannon last Friday afternoon.

Evidence of the arrest, charge and caution of Gearoid Coughlan was given by Detective Garda Peter Nolan.

Det Garda Nolan said that Mr Coughlan made no reply when the charge of assault causing harm to Mary Coughlan was put to him under caution.

Det Garda Nolan said that Mr Coughlan, who has an address at Ballycoughlan, Innishannon, was arrested at 2.48pm on Friday June 4th on Main Street in the town.

He was conveyed to Bandon Garda Station in connection with an assault which had occurred earlier that afternoon on Mary Coughlan at a property in Ballycoughlan. Judge James McNulty was told that Mr Coughlan was charged with the offence of assault causing harm to Mary Coughlan contrary to Section 3 of the Non Fatal offences against the Person Act at 9.50pm yesterday. (Sat)

Defence Solicitor Plunkett Taaffe said he wasn’t making a bail application for his client at this juncture. However, he reserved the right to make a bail application at a later date. He asked that his client receive psychiatric assistance and aid for his general welfare whilst in custody.

He said that Mr Coughlan had been under psychiatric care for some time and was unwell.

Judge James McNulty directed that Mr Coughlan receive all the necessary care and medication in prison.He asked that the prison governor be made aware of all the medical needs of the defendant. He was remanded in custody until later this week. Free legal aid was granted as Mr Coughlan is in receipt of disability benefit.

Meanwhile, Mrs Coughlan was found injured at her home about 3km outside Innishannon at around 2.15pm on Friday. A family member raised the alarm and paramedics and gardaí rushed to the scene.

She was taken by ambulance to Cork University Hospital where she underwent emergency surgery  and remains critical, but stable, gardaí said.