Man must pay €4,000 after drink poured over lineswoman at Tullamore rugby event
“It's hard enough to get any official in any sport, particularly female officials, and to have a drunken thug pour drink over her.”
A MAN has been ordered to pay €4,000 as a result of drink being poured over a lineswoman during the Tullamore Rugby Club Midnight Sevens last year.
Eoin O'Donoghue, Shannon Lawn, North Circular Road, Limerick, appeared before Tullamore District Court in relation to a summons for assaulting Katie Byrne at Tullamore Rugby Club, Spollanstown Road, Tullamore on July 29 last year.
Solicitor for Mr O'Donoghue, Tony McLynn, told Judge Andrew Cody that his 26-year-old client would be taking a certain course.
Sergeant Richard Thornton said the prosecution followed a report from Katie Byrne to gardai on August 4 last year that she had been assaulted while officiating at the Midnight Sevens event.
A drink had been poured over her by a spectator who had been identified as Mr O'Donoghue.
Judge Cody noted that the event run by the club was one for which they apply to the court for an occasional licence.
“Is this the sort of behaviour it's promoting?” he asked. “It's hard enough to get any official in any sport, particularly female officials, and to have a drunken thug pour drink over her.”
Mr McLynn said the Rugby Sevens was a charitable event which took place at night and this was Mr O'Donoghue's first time in court and would also be his last.
He deeply regretted his behaviour and said it occurred after a group of young men had been drinking to excess.
There was no attempt to be disrespectful and the act had been done out of mindlessness. While it was “jokey behaviour”, it was far from a joke.
Judge Cody said he regarded any assault on an official in any sport as a very serious matter.
The defending solicitor agreed and said it was very much out of character for his client, a responsible young man who was involved in charity rugby and a rugby team for individuals with special needs.
He apologised for what he had done. A single man who worked in quality control analysis in a biomed lab in Limerick, he had brought €400 with him to court and was asking for one chance.
Mr McLynn said it was neither a line decision or a match decision which was behind the incident but just stupidity.
The court was told by Sergeant Thornton that the incident occurred between 8.30pm and 9pm.
Judge Cody said that more than €400 would have to be paid by the accused and told him that he would be facing a custodial sentence unless €2,000 is paid to the injured party and €2,000 to the IRFU benevolent fund by May 1 next.
The judge added that when Tullamore Rugby Club is next looking for an occasional licence he would be reminding them of this case.