A biker has been given a suspended five-year sentence for assaulting another biker.
A Circuit Court judge described the assault as a “severe and cowardly” punishment-style beating by members of the Outlaw Biker Club, which he said was little more than a criminal enterprise”.
Jeremy Berger (28) from Castlegar, Co Galway, pleaded guilty at Galway Circuit Criminal Court last week to assaulting Paul McGuire, causing him harm, on February 8th last year.
Mr McGuire (45) suffered a broken left ankle and leg and a broken right arm in the assault after four masked men, including the accused, all wearing biker gear with the Outlaw insignia on it, entered his shop and beat him with iron bars and a sock containing a belt buckle.
Berger later told gardaí he was trying to join the Galway chapter of the Outlaw Bikers Club at the time and had been pressured by another member to get involved in the beating.
Berger brought €3,625 into court last week as a token of his remorse but Judge Gerard Griffin adjourned sentence to yesterday, indicating that a total sum of €10,000 would have to be paid to the victim.
The sentence was suspended for five years on condition Berger pay another €6,375 to the victim by December 5th next year, come under the supervision of the probation service for three years and not reoffend.