Letterkenny man produced machete after having ear bitten off in attack, court hears

A man who brandished a machete after having a part of his ear bitten off in an attack at his home in Letterkenny has appeared in court.

Tom Ward was charged with producing an article during the course of a dispute.

Ward, a 23-year-old of Cashel Park, Lisnennan, Letterkenny, appeared before Letterkenny District Court in connection with the incident at his home on December 28, 2022.

Sergeant Gerard Dalton outlined the case to the court. After receiving a report of an alleged assault, Gardai arrived at the scene and spoke with Ward, who had injuries to both ears, including having a part of one removed.

Sergeant Dalton said CCTV was viewed and Ward was observed, after the assault, getting an article from a car and wielding it at the car containing the other two men.

The car had a number of marks and the owner of the vehicle did not make a statement of complaint.

Solicitor for Ward, Mr Rory O'Brien, said his client is “very much a victim” in this case.

He said two men came to Ward's home early one December morning “with the sole purpose of carrying out a criminal attack”.

He said Ward needed 20 stitches after having part of his ear bitten off. Ward was, Mr O'Brien said, kicked and punched repeatedly in a “completely unprovoked” attack.

“He is entirely innocent of any wrongdoing,” Mr O'Brien said.

Mr O'Brien said his client had blocked one of his attackers on WhatsApp “and he was met with extreme violence”. He said Ward acted in “an act of self preservation and an act of protecting his family when he produced a machete to protect himself”.

Mr O'Brien told the court that Ward had to seek counselling as a result of what he called a “vicious attack.”

He said: “Two men from outside the town came to his house and brutally assaulted him”.

Ward has, his solicitor added, “accepted his role”. The solicitor said that charges are pending against the main assailant of the situation who has, he said, “fled the jurisdiction and is nowhere to be found”.

Judge Éiteáin Cunningham told Mr O'Brien that she believed the incident represented “more than a tiff”.

“I feel that these are serious matters and this type of behaviour cannot be condoned.”

Mr O'Brien told Judge Cunningham that the incident is on tape which would be made available for the court to see.

Given that Ward has no previous convictions, Judge Cunningham said she would give him a chance to “put his best foot forward”.

Judge Cunningham directed the preparation of a probation and welfare report and adjourned the case until December 19 for sentencing.