A longford businessman who attacked a Traveller with a bill hook during a family dispute and left him with a permanent limp has been jailed for four years.
Willie McGinley (52), of Shroid, Co Longford, pleaded guilty to committing violent disorder at St Oliver's Park, Clondalkin, Dublin, and to assault occasioning actual bodily harm on Willie Power on May 15th, 1997. He had three previous convictions.
Judge Frank O'Donnell set a review date in two years' time in what he said was "an attempt to dampen the inexplicable tensions" between the McGinley and Power families.
Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that McGinley and others chased Mr Power into his home and attacked him with weapons when he slipped and fell during a vicious attack in which there were shouts of "kill the bastard".
Judge O'Donnell said several people were before the court on various charges arising out of the incident. Some of the charges were more serious than others and he had decided they should all be dealt with separately so that none could be tainted with another's offences.
There had been a growing dispute between the families for some months and it came to a head during a wedding in Longford which was attended by members of both families. Negotiations failed to resolve the dispute and a large number of McGinleys descended on St Oliver's Park, where the Powers lived.
Judge O'Donnell said a different picture of the matter appeared to him from the evidence to what he had at first been led to believe. "Some of the people involved may think the offences have nothing to do with society, but nothing could be further from the truth. These were offences against society at large," he said.
Mr Power had been set upon by the McGinleys with "devastating effect". He received lacerations to the scalp and thigh as well as a compound knee fracture. His injuries necessitated a four-hour operation and he now carried a dead leg. Judge O'Donnell said that the court was particularly sensitive to the tensions between the two families and this was being taken into consideration.