Customer skips queue and punches women in the face
A CUSTOMER who skipped a Clondalkin post office queue punched a woman in the face and threatened to kill her after she argued with him, a court heard.
Simon O’Donnell also punched and threatened the victim’s husband who came to her aid during the incident.
Blanchardstown District Court
Blanchardstown District Court was told the woman had called O’Donnell, who was a member of the Travelling community, a “knacker” before he assaulted her.
Judge Gerard Jones ordered a pre-sentence victim impact statement and remanded O’Donnell on continuing bail.
The accused, with an address at Tor an Ri Lane, Lucan, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to the woman, simple assault on her husband, public intoxication and engaging in threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour.
The offences all took place at Centra, Neilstown Shopping Centre on October 21, 2020.
Garda Thomas Barrett said the DPP consented to summary trial of the case in the district court.
O’Donnell’s solicitor Simon Fleming said his client would be pleading guilty.
Garda Barrett said O’Donnell attended the shop in an intoxicated state on the day and skipped the post office line.
There was an argument with the woman he skipped and he called her a “f**king prostitute” before telling her, “you are dead, you are f**king dead,” the court heard.
Garda Barrett said the woman’s husband came over and O’Donnell threatened to kill them.
“He said ‘yous two are dead, if I don’t get you in here I’ll get you in the car park,’” Garda Barrett told the court.
O’Donnell struck the woman twice with a closed fist, knocking her to the ground and when her husband went to her aid, he was struck once by the accused.
An ambulance was called and brought the woman to hospital, where she was found to have sustained bruising.
The accused made full admissions when arrested and questioned by gardai. Mr Fleming said it had been accepted that the victim had called his client “a knacker”.
Judge Jones asked if O’Donnell and the couple had known each other prior to the assault and he replied that they had not.
The judge accepted jurisdiction after hearing the prosecution evidence but said he regarded the matter as “very serious” and that he would need to see a victim impact statement.
The garda said the woman had indicated she would be prepared to make a statement and the judge adjourned the case for three weeks.
