bride and gloom Groom who hit wedding guest with clothes iron avoids jail term

The groom avoided jail

Gordon Deegan

January 29 2021 07:34 AM

A GROOM at his wedding reception feared for his safety when he lashed out to hit an uncle of the bride with a clothes iron several times over the head, a court has heard.

At Gort District Court yesterday, Brendan Cloherty (34) of Castlepark, Ballybane, Galway avoided jail for the assault on Kevin Barry at the Lady Gregory Hotel, in Gort, on July 19, 2019.

In court, Judge Patrick Durcan imposed a suspended eight-month prison term on Mr Cloherty for the assault causing harm of Mr Barry and producing a weapon, a clothes iron, in the course of the assault.

Mr Cloherty had pleaded guilty to both offences and Judge Durcan said "this was a totally unnecessary incident".

Judge Durcan said the assault by Mr Cloherty was perpetrated on a guest at his own wedding.

Sgt Daithi Cronin told the court that when gardaí arrived at the hotel they established "a serious altercation" had taken place.

Sgt Cronin stated that Mr Cloherty hit Mr Barry several times over the head with the clothes iron, which he had taken from one of the hotel rooms.

Solicitor for Mr Cloherty, Ann Gillane, told the court Mr Cloherty fled from the hotel on the night after the assault and that he feared for his safety on the night.

Ambulance

Ms Gillane said before fleeing, Mr Cloherty asked the hotel manager to call an ambulance for Mr Barry.

She said: "There was nothing premeditated in this."

Ms Gillane said unfortunately, Mr Cloherty chose his wedding night to have a few drinks after not taking any alcohol since 2011.

She said: "There was a number of parties at the wedding, you could really call it feuding families at the wedding."

Ms Gillane said Mr Cloherty made a comment "and he felt that he was set upon by a number of parties".

She said Mr Cloherty went upstairs to find his bride and she wasn't there. Mr Cloherty then went into his best man's bedroom.

She said: "In there, he heard a kerfuffle and heard a number of raised voices coming up the stairs. Foolishly, he armed himself with a clothes iron.

"When he went out of the room in the corridor, five of those individuals came towards him hitting him. He then saw Mr Barry coming right up towards him and he hit out with the clothes iron. He sincerely regrets it."

Ms Gillane said that since 2011, Mr Cloherty has had constant employment as a labourer and has turned his life around and now doesn't take any drugs or alcohol.