Landscaper attacked relative with tree branch in family row 'over-reaction', court hears

Tom Tuite

A landscaper who repeatedly beat a female relative over the head with a tree branch during a family row in Dublin has been handed a three-month sentence.

However, Michael McDonough (27) of Emmet Crescent, Inchicore, who was already serving a prison sentence for an earlier offence, was spared additional time in custody.

He claimed he "over-reacted" as he admitted producing a weapon on May 10th 2025, which left the woman hospitalised.

A charge of assault causing harm was withdrawn by the State, which accepted the guilty plea to the weapons offence, but evidence was given on a full facts basis.

Garda Daniel Coyne told Dublin District Court that he received a report from a neighbour that the accused had struck a woman with a large wooden object.

People tried to intervene, but McDonough managed to hit the woman several times before she was taken to St James's Hospital to receive stitches.

CCTV footage of the incident was obtained but was not played during the hearing. However, Judge Áine Clancy was shown still images from the video evidence.

Questioned by defence barrister Sam Friel, the garda said the weapon looked like a long tool handle, but on examination, he clarified that it was a tree branch.

Garda Coyne agreed that McDonough was forthright during the interview a month later.

He had 19 prior convictions, including two assaults, but none for weapons offences, and is due for release from prison later this year.

Pleading for leniency, Friel asked the court to note that the guilty plea spared the witnesses the need to give evidence.

Judge Clancy noted that the injured woman was related to the accused and was not in court.

Counsel said other people had got into a violent altercation with McDonough's mother, who had Alzheimer's disease.

Friel said his client overreacted and was remorseful.

The court heard he had suffered several bereavements, which led him to abuse drugs as a "coping mechanism", but he has "cleaned up his act" in custody, and was now drug-free.

He had also recently become a father and was supported in court by his partner, who was a good influence on him.

The barrister pleaded with the judge not to prolong McDonough's time in jail, as his sentence was due to expire in September. The judge imposed the three-month sentence to run from Friday.