Judge jails man who inflicted 'foot-long' cut to victim's neck
The case was heard before a jury at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court.
A man who left another male with a “foot-long” laceration to his neck has been jailed.
Eddie Cleary, aged 25, of Headford Road, Galway City, previously contested the assault causing harm case when he appeared before Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court last October.
The injured party, Michael McDonagh, aged 24, of Carrowmore Drive, Knock, is now deceased. He was the victim of a homicide not related to this incident.
On September 4, 2020, Cleary and his victim had been drinking together in Ballyhaunis. A witness reported finding the pair drinking cider and vodka in the back of an old car that was parked on his property.
A 999 call was made by a staff member of Apache Pizza in Ballyhaunis at 10.44pm after McDonagh had entered the restaurant with a large cut and appeared to be weak.
Gardaí discovered the injured party on Bridge Street. He was bleeding profusely and pressure had to be applied to a laceration on neck. He also had a large cut above his eye.
McDonagh, who Gardaí said was "saturated in blood", initially refused to tell officers his name and address but later identified himself. He had an 8cm laceration across his forehead to his right eye and a 25 to 30cm neck laceration. The young man was taken to Mayo University Hospital for treatment.
Following the incident, Gardaí harvested CCTV from the area and a montage was played to the jury in the case.
McDonagh and Cleary were observed together in Chilli Kebab on Main Street, Ballyhaunis. The men were intoxicated and while at one stage they hugged there also appeared to be arguments between the pair.
Additional CCTV at Bridge Street showed Cleary walking on one side of the road and McDonagh on the other. At one point, Cleary crossed the road and there appears to be an altercation between the men. Cleary walks away with the injured party following behind. Car park footage from the rear of Gem Costcutter at Riverside showed the men again and McDonagh’s face appeared to be marked.
The incident which led to McDonagh’s neck and head being cut occurred in a laneway at Riverside where no CCTV was available.
State prosecutor Patrick Reynolds said the two men entered the laneway and when they emerged, CCTV evidence showed that Mr McDonagh had a mark visible over his eye and along his neck.
Mr Reynolds said "something happened along the laneway" and that while this was based on circumstantial evidence, the fact was that Mr Cleary did not offer any kind of aid to Mr McDonagh and did not call the emergency services. Instead, he fled the scene.
The weapon used in the attack was never found with a broken bottle or a knife suspected of being wielded by Cleary.
The jury took 99 minutes to return a guilty verdict.
The case came before Judge Eoin Garavan for sentencing last week.
The judge was told that Mr McDonagh was murdered at a house in Swinford two months after he was assaulted by Cleary. A victim impact statement from his foster mother Winnie McDonagh was read into the court. She said the attack by Cleary had “scarred his life” and her son fell into a depression.
Cleary is in custody on a separate but similar matter.
Barrister Niall Flynn, representing the accused, said his client no longer drinks and attends Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, adding that Cleary “becomes a different person when drinking". The father-of-two has 14 previous convictions, including one for assault causing harm.
He had €2,000 in court as a token of his remorse to Mr McDonagh’s family.
Judge Eoin Garavan said this was a an “appallingly serious case" and the incident might have caused Mr McDonagh to lose his "tragically young life even earlier". The judge said the injuries inflicted were “extraordinary” with Mr McDonagh sustaining a foot-long injury to his neck. He noted that Cleary never sought to come to his friend and victim’s aid and Mr McDonagh could have bled out on the night.
“Mr Cleary blighted those tragic last few months of Mr McDonagh’s life,” said Judge Garavan.
The judge jailed Cleary for four years and six months, suspending the final year of the sentence.
The sentence comes into effect once Cleary completes his current custodial term in July 2026.
