Chip-throwing incident led to a punch in the face
The victim suffered a fractured eye socket in the attack
A TWENTY-one-year-old man was last week found guilty of assaulting another man, causing him harm when he appeared last week before Carlow District Court. Eoin Middleton was found guilty of assaulting the injured party, Sebastian Swiderski, causing him harm on Tullow Street, Carlow on 20 February last year.
Mr Swiderski told the court that he was sitting on a bench outside the Metro Grill on Tullow Street, some time between 2am and 3am, when he asked a group of people near him for a chip. He continued that Mr Middletown, whom he didn’t know, threw a chip at him and that he threw the chip back at him. The court heard that Mr Middleton then approached Mr Swiderski and punched him in the face.
Under cross-examination by solicitor Joe Farrell, Mr Swiderski denied that he had his fists up as if ready to fight Mr Middleton and said that there was no provocation that led to the punch. Mr Swiderski said that he was dazed by the punch and that Mr Middleton ran away after he did it.
The court heart that Mr Swiderski sustained a fractured eye socket in the attack and that he reported the matter to the gardaí.
The two friends who were with Mr Swiderski, James Young and Emma Dowling, also gave evidence. Both of them said that there was no provocation leading up to the punch and that there were no insults exchanged between the defendant and the injured party.
Mr Young said “it was all lighthearted until the incident”, while Ms Dowling said that she found out Mr Middleton’s name by asking someone nearby and that she gave his name to the gardaí.
Investigating garda Seán Kenny said that when Mr Middleton made a statement about the incident, he showed him a photo of the injuries that Mr Swiderski had sustained and that Mr Middleton said “that’s bad enough, I feel sorry for him”.
Judge Geraldine Carthy said that the state had made its case and found Mr Middleton of Burke’s Hill, Birr, Co Offaly guilty of assault causing harm.
She adjourned sentencing him until 2 April next year for the preparation of a probation report and a victim impact statement while she also ordered a copy of the medical expenses incurred by the assault.
