Man offers woman apology and €4,000 for breaking her jaw

A college student will be sentenced next week for breaking a young woman’s jaw when she attempted to break up a fight.

Leah Fay, then 18, intervened in a row between Seán Flood (24) and her male friend to stop the friend getting hit, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard.

Flood pushed her down to the ground and when she got back up he punched her. The assault took place in Dublin city centre in the midst of a “rolling fight” between groups of young men which followed a football match.

Flood, of Rathmines Close, Rathmines, pleaded guilty to assaulting Ms Fay causing her harm on D’Olier Street on May 16th, 2015. He has previous convictions for assaults and public order offences.

Judge Gerard Griffin remanded him into custody until Tuesday next when he said he will decide whether to sentence him then or later.

Anne Marie Lawlor BL, defending, asked the court to adjourn sentencing to allow Flood to finish a degree programme this summer.

Garda Sgt Paul Murphy agreed with counsel that all of Flood’s criminality was caused by his abuse of alcohol which began with underage drinking.

Ms Lawlor said her client, a father-of-two, had taken steps since 2015 to address his drinking.

Steel plates

Ms Fay became upset in court when reading from her victim impact statement. She told the court that her jaw was broken in two places and that steel plates had been inserted.

Her jaw was now painful when cold and it felt like she had a constant toothache. She is receiving ongoing treatment and told Judge Griffin she did not know much this will end up costing.

She said that as a result of the assault she became withdrawn and depressed and lost confidence in herself. Her social life was affected because she felt anxious and nervous going out.

Flood made an apology in open court and told the victim that “it’s killing me inside that I could cause any of the effects I’ve caused to you”.

Ms Lawlor asked the court to accept the bonafides of her client’s apology. She said he had brought €4,000 to court to offer the victim as a token of his remorse. He worked part time in a bar and came from an honest hard working family who were not of any great means.

Ms Lawlor said that Ms Fay was an innocent victim who got caught in the line of fire of a rolling fight in the city centre that night.

She said that Flood had recently been released from prison for previous offending and had not consumed alcohol for a while. She said it was his birthday on the night and he drank a lot to celebrate and became involved in the “rolling melee”.