THE attacker of a Limerick student who received over 50 stitches to his face has been jailed for two years at Limerick Circuit Court.
Martin Ryan, of Kilmurray View halting Site, Castletroy smashed a wine bottle off the face of a now 21-year-old University of Limerick business student, leaving him with facial scarring in what was said to have been an “unprovoked attack”. The accused man pleaded guilty and Judge Carroll Moran heard evidence that on March 27, 2010, the assault took place after they attended the nightclub at The Kilmurray Lodge.
Ryan, the court heard, punched one man, who was in the company of the injured party, in the face, in an unprovoked attack outside the premises.
Two other males gave chase and caught up with Ryan at the graveyard in Kilmurray where Ryan produced a wine bottle that he found and struck one of the two men in the face with the broken bottle.
The business student, who received 52 stitches was left with a large scar on his left cheek, which was shown to the presiding judge.
The student, who hoped to embark on a career in business, was said to be very concerned about his appearance as he felt that people would develop certain perceptions about him, given the scarring.
“Horrified by his own actions,” the accused, through his barrister Brian McInerney, told the court that he was very apologetic for his conduct after he pleaded guilty to three counts of assault causing harm and one count of producing a broken bottle during the course of an assault on March 27, 2010.
Judge Carroll Moran said that the production of a broken bottle in an assault was very serious and “”a major aggravating factor in the case.
“Tolerating this cannot happen,” said the judge who noted that incidences of this nature are becoming all too commonplace and also noted that the two friends of the injured party were also assaulted but that the assault with the wine bottle was the more serious offence before the court.
He said that the injured party had some serious cosmetic disfiguring as a result of having the wine bottle smashed on his face.
In imposing sentence on the father of one, Judge Moran said that the accused man before him was otherwise of good character but said that the use of the wine bottle as a weapon was opportunistic and the attack was unprovoked.
He imposed a two year prison sentence on Martin Ryan.