Broke man's nose with a head-butt

Jonathan Patrick Paul Mooney, Larchwood, Banbridge, admitted assault occasioning actual bodily harm on November 20 last year.

Last Thursday at Banbridge Magistrates Court he was also sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for two years. The court heard that the injured party was in a bar in Banbridge when about 10.45pm he went towards the smoking area.

Mooney was walking towards him when he lunged at the injured party and head-butted him. He tried to defend himself but could not do so.

When spoken to by police the defendant claimed the other person had tried to head-butt him and he reacted.

The case had been adjourned from a previous court to obtain a pre-sentence report.

A barrister representing Mooney said that the injured party had appeared to have been mocking the defendant, taunting him about a report which had appeared in a local paper.

He added that with a couple of drinks on board Mooney allowed himself to react. He had a problem dealing with his anger.

The barrister said his client had completed all the hours of a community service order and was dealing with his anger issues.

He added that Mooney had to learn not to act in this way and to show his remorse he had brought £500 with him to court for compensation in recognition of the harm he caused to this person.

District Judge, Mr Paul Copeland, said it was an ‘outrageous attack’ fuelled by alcohol and that the victim had received an unpleasant injury.