Man assaulted driver after traffic incident in Portlaoise

A man admitted cutting in front of a car before following and assaulting a driver in Portlaoise. 

Paul O’Shea (40) of  56 Mell Street, Kilminchy, Portlaoise pleaded guilty to assaulting a man and a woman at Kilminchy Close and to dangerous driving on the Dublin Road, Portlaoise and at Kilminchy Close on May 18, 2024. 

Garda Sergeant JJ Kirby said a man was driving with his girlfriend and a child when the defendant’s vehicle drove out in front of him at speed. The injured party beeped at the man and the defendant then drove “right behind” the injured party following him to his home. 

When the man got out of the car there was a verbal argument and the defendant hit the man with “a closed fist across the right hand side of his face” and when the woman approached he struck her in the back before leaving. Sgt Kirby said the man had 50 previous convictions. 

Solicitor Josephine Fitzpatrick said her client had a number of reports and had participated in restorative justice. She said the man had engaged in an anger management and proactive driving course and he had engaged well with the probation service and brought €1,000 to court.  

Judge Susan Fay said that while it was a “very serious incident” the man had engaged well with various services and been deemed suitable for community service. 

Noting he had brought €500 for each of the victims, Judge Fay sentenced the man to 60 hours of community service in lieu of four months in prison, disqualified him from driving for two years and imposed a three month sentence which she suspended for two years.