Limerick man pleads guilty over separate assaults

A RATHKEALE man who pleaded to two counts of assault on two different men as well as two counts of criminal damage had his case adjourned at Newcastle West to allow a pre-sanction report to be prepared.

Before the court was William Mulcaire of Ballingrane, Askeaton who went to a residence at Stoneville, Rathkeale on the evening of October 13, 2020.

The owner of the house was working at the back of the house, Inspector Liam Wallace told the court, when Mr Mulcaire came into the property and was looking to speak to the owner “quite aggressively”.

The man said he would talk to him in a few moments and then went to the front of his house to see what Mr Mulcaire wanted.

Mr Mulcaire, the inspector said, ran from the front of the house, struck the owner and then repeatedly punched him on the ground. The inspector added the defendant was on the premises without the permission of the owner and was “there as a trespasser.”

On October 15, 2021, Inspector Wallace continued, at 4.30 in the afternoon, Mr Mulcair went into the yard of another man at Ballingrane, where he struck him and punched him in the mouth.

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Mr Mulcaire was described as “quite intoxicated”, the inspector continued, and then left. As gardai looked for him in the area, Mr Mulcaire returned to the man’s house, rammed the eclectic gates with his vehicle and broke the keypad to the gates off the wall.

Pleading for his client, solicitor Ted McCarthy said he had a history of mental illness, was in contact with the mental health services and on considerable daily medication.

“You might consider a pre-sanction report,” he suggested to Judge Carol Ann Cooligan.

The judge agreed and she ordered that a report to be prepared by May 24.