‘I thought it was the end’: Man jailed after cousin struck by car in feud related incident

A man believed he was going to die seconds before a car was used to run him down in a feud related incident in Co Longford three years ago.

Gerard Donoghue (27) was speaking after his first cousin, Eamon Stokes (21) of Cluain Na Sibhe, Killashee, was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to assault causing harm and possession of a hatchet following an incident at Pound Street, Edgeworthstown on January 7th, 2019.

A co-accused, Alan Whelan (27), has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing serious bodily harm to Mr Donoghue. Whelan was driving the car while Stokes was sat in the front passenger seat.

Longford Circuit Criminal Court heard there had been “bad blood” between the cousins over a woman and that the pair inadvertently encountered each other less than 30 minutes before the incident while collecting social welfare payments at a post office.

CCTV footage showed Stokes turning around to spit on the floor after seeing Mr Donoghue and his partner in the queue behind him.

The victim was spotted waiting outside a shop shortly afterwards while his partner was inside buying a drink. Moments later, a Fiat Punto suddenly darted across the road, mounted the footpath and pinned Mr Donoghue against a wall.

The court heard that the car then reversed and tried to strike Mr Donoghue a second time before the occupants fled the scene on foot.

Hatchet and phone

A hatchet was subsequently found in the well of the front passenger seat where Stokes had been sitting along with a mobile phone belonging to him.

Gardaí­found photographs on the phone which Judge Keenan Johnson said established a firm link between the accused and the offending vehicle. The court heard Stokes had more than 30 previous convictions, including three for assault, four for possession of an article and seven for criminal damage.

“There can be little doubt that this was an extremely serious assault perpetrated in broad daylight,” said Judge Johnson, adding it was “difficult to understand the mentality” which prompted Stokes to agree to his involvement in a “common design” to assault Mr Donoghue.

He sentenced Stokes to three years in prison to run alongside a six month consecutive prison term for breaching the terms of the previous suspended sentence which was handed down in January 2020.

Speaking afterwards, Mr Donoghue said he has been left constantly looking over his shoulder for fear he may be targeted again.

“This (feud) will never be over,” he said, adding that he had received two separate threats on his life since the incident. “I thought it was the end and I will never forgive him for what he done to me.”

Whelan was remanded on continuing bail and is to be sentenced on May 17th.