A 24-year-old abbatoir worker has been jailed for two years for an unprovoked attack on two men that left one victim with tinnitus and permanent hearing loss.
Gerry Norman, of Cluain na Rí, Ballina, Co Mayo, was sentenced to four years in prison with the final two years suspended at a sitting of Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court.
He had pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm to Dylan Tolan and assault causing harm to Patrick Ruttledge in Diamond’s carpark, Ballina on December 19, 2021.
Passing sentence, Judge Eoin Garavan said it was an “entirely random attack, fuelled by alcohol and drugs”, for which Norman only had “himself to blame”.
Judge Garavan said Norman, who has done boxing in the past, had put the life of another in danger and that his one-punch blow to Mr Tolan was of the “potentially lethal variety that cannot go unpunished”.
The judge set a headline sentence of seven years but reduced this on account of mitigating factors, including Norman’s lack of previous convictions and difficult family background.
Judge Garavan said Norman was intoxicated with alcohol and cocaine when he became “nasty, extremely violent and aggressive” and assaulted Mr Ruttledge, a man he didn’t know, damaging his teeth.
The judge said about 20 minutes later, Norman gave an extremely violent blow to Mr Tolan, who fell to the ground “with the crack of his head being audible”.
Mr Tolan was knocked unconscious and suffered a skull fracture from his eyebrow to his hairline and a bleed on the brain. He was hospitalised for a period and will suffer long term consequences.
A victim impact report detailed that Mr Tolan, an electrician, has been left with tinnitus and hearing loss for life.
The court heard that the cost of Mr Tolan’s dental work alone was €6,500.
Judge Garavan accepted that the attack was out of character for Norman, whom he described as “a good man in many ways” who had done “exemplary” work addressing his difficulties and substance abuse.
Bernard Madden SC, defending, said Norman had made the further sum of €5,000 available for the victims as a token of his remorse, on top of the previous sum of €10,000 offered as compensation.
Mr Madden cited an updated probation report which said Norman was at low risk of re-offending and was drug and alcohol free.
A probation officer said Norman had dealt with his past maturely, had completed an anger management course and and had learned a “salutary lesson”.
Mr Madden said his client was undergoing counselling to address his childhood trauma and substance abuse and that he was deeply remorseful for his wrongdoing.
The court heard that Norman spent time in foster care as a child and that he lost his brother tragically three years ago.
Norman now has a senior role in the abattoir where he works full time and keeps himself fit by going to the gym, counsel said.
Judge Garavan previously imposed a 20-month sentence for assault on Mr Ruttledge, to run concurrent with the longer term.
Norman was ordered to be of good behaviour and keep the peace while in custody and for two years upon his release.