Reigning Mr Ireland convicted of assaulting taxi driver in Galway

A man who currently holds the title of Mr Ireland has been convicted of assaulting a taxi driver and refusing to pay a fare in Galway city.

Wayne Walsh (28), from Caherbrian, Gort, appeared before Galway District Court this week, charged with assaulting Robinson Isibor at Parkavara, Mill Steet on April 22nd, 2018.

Walsh, who was accompanied in court by his father, a retired taxi driver, initially indicated he would be contesting the charges, but changed his plea to guilty before the hearing. A charge of breaching the peace by engaging in threatening, abusive and insulting words or behaviour was withdrawn after the guilty plea.

Sgt Aoife Curley said Mr Isibor drove his taxi to Galway Garda station at 2.52am on the morning in question and complained that a passenger had refused to pay a fare outside the G Hotel.

Garda Linda Woodman went out to the taxi and spoke to Walsh, who told her he would pay the €20 fare and then began searching his pockets for the money.

The taxi left the garda station but Mr Isibor later returned and said he had been assaulted. He said he was grabbed by the neck and punched while driving Walsh back to the hotel. He said that when he stopped the car, he was dragged out of it and attacked. Sgt Curley said Mr Isibor had slap marks on his face when he returned to the garda station.

Barrister Garry McDonald, defending Walsh, said his client got a taxi to the G Hotel and had no cash on him but he did have a bank card and offered to pay if the driver stopped at an ATM.

Judge Mary Fahy said Mr Isibor did not need to give evidence after the guilty plea but invited him to tell the court of how the assault had affected him.

‘Bruises’

“I suffered seriously. My feet were sore. I couldn’t go to work. I had bruises all over my body,” he replied.

Judge Fahy said taxi drivers were particularly vulnerable to assaults while they were working.

“If he [Walsh] didn’t want to pay his fare, he shouldn’t have got the taxi,” she said, asking if Walsh had drink taken at the time.

Mr McDonald said his client had had a few drinks but was not highly intoxicated. He said Mr Isibor had refused to bring Walsh to an ATM, at which point the taxi driver interjected and said “that is a lie”.

The judge said: “The garda will say she heard him say he had cash and then he says he didn’t have cash. Why did he assault somebody? He was in the wrong and why did he assault him?”

Mr McDonald replied: “He didn’t understand the injured party would be here.”

The judge replied: “In other words, he was going to contest (the charges) until he saw the victim in court.”

Mr McDonald said that was not the case. “When he saw him in court, he wished to apologise to him and is offering an apology to him now.”

Judge Fahy said: “There is not one single word that I have heard that would impress me about your client. I’m here waiting”.

Mr McDonald said his client did a lot of charity work, had no previous convictions and completed an alcohol awareness course after this incident.

Judge Fahy said Walsh was “not a person suitable to be left conviction-free”.

Mr McDonald informed the court Walsh had brought €1,000 compensation to court for the victim, who refused the offer.

Judge Fahy fined Walsh €600 for the assault and €400 for refusing to pay the fare. She granted leave to appeal the convictions.