Lengthy jail terms for 'horrific' attack that had 'elements of homophobia'

Three people accused of falsely imprisoning and assaulting two men during an incident that was “like a horror film” have been jailed.

Martin Regan, aged 39, John Paul Cunningham, aged 44, and Mary Fox, aged 53, were all living at a property in Gladesville, Castlebar at the time of the offences on December 7, 2020.

The complainants in the case were Conor Sheridan, Glenfort, Castlebar and Dean Cleary, who was of no fixed abode at the time. 

A trial took place at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court last February. Cunningham and Regan were charged with causing serious harm to Conor Sheridan; assault causing harm to Conor Sheridan and Dean Cleary; the false imprisonment of Conor Sheridan; and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Fox was charged with causing serious harm to Conor Sheridan; assault causing harm to Dean Cleary; the false imprisonment of Conor Sheridan; attempting to pervert the course of justice and making threats to kill or cause serious harm to Dean Cleary.

Following a 16-day trial, a jury found Cunningham and Regan guilty on all counts while Mary Fox was found guilty of false imprisonment, making threats to kill or cause serious injury, and perverting the course of justice. Fox was found not guilty of causing serious harm to Conor Sheridan and assault causing harm to Dean Cleary.

Mr Sheridan and Mr Cleary were good friends at the time and had been involved in an occasional casual sexual relationship. They met at the TF Royal Hotel on December 7, 2020, when Mr Sheridan was with friends and Mr Cleary was in the company of Mr Cunningham, Ms Fox, and her son Tommy Phelan.

The court was told Mr Cunningham and Ms Fox were living at the rented property at Gladesville with Mr Regan. Mr Cleary had been ‘couchsurfing’ at the property. Cunnigham and Fox had been in a relationship and Regan was a cousin of Fox.

After going back to the house in Gladesville, Mr Sheridan and Mr Cleary ended up in a bedroom where a certain degree of intimacy occurred. It was alleged that Regan, Cunningham, and Fox came into the room and assaulted the men.

The court heard Conor Sheridan "got the worse of it". The men were told not to leave the room but Mr Sheridan escaped from a window at about 7am. Mr Cleary remained in the house.

Mr Sheridan went to hospital the next evening when he discovered he was bleeding from his anus. He had suffered a perforated bowel.

Mr Sheridan admitted he could only recall "bits and pieces" of the night but knew he got "beaten up". He said Cunningham had a belt around his knuckles and was punching him with it while Regan was swinging a stick. Mr Sheridan said he could not remember if Regan struck him with the stick.

Dean Cleary, said he, Mr Sheridan, Regan, and Cunningham took cocaine in the house that night. Mr Sheridan and the two accused denied taking drugs.

Mr Cleary said while in a bedroom in the house watching TV with Mr Sheridan and Mr Phelan, Cunningham and Regan entered in an angry state.

Mr Cleary said he could not understand their anger and initially thought they were "messing". Matters settled and Mr Cleary and Mr Sheridan went to the sitting room with the three accused.

More drinking occurred before Mr Cleary and Mr Sheridan went to bed. Mr Cleary said they were "cuddling" and "shifting" when they heard a bang on the door and Cunningham and Regan entered. They started "getting thumps" and Regan was assaulting Mr Sheridan in the other corner of the bedroom.

“I was scared for my life to be honest. I could not believe this was happening. I thought they (the accused) were my friends.” 

 He said he recalled Cunningham wrapping coal in a tea towel and using to to beat them and also wrapping a belt around his fist.

Mr Cleary said Fox also hit him several times and threatened to burn his genitalia with hot water and sugar. He said she called him a paedophile. He said he knew Mr Sheridan was getting hit with a stick of some sort.

Mr Cleary said the bedroom was "like something out of a horror film" with blood everywhere. He claimed he was forced to put his fingerprints on a vodka bottle and help to destroy and burn evidence, including items of clothing. He said the three accused wanted to blame the attack on a "lovers' tiff".

Following the verdict of the jury earlier this year, the three accused were remanded in custody and appeared before the court for sentencing this week.

A victim impact statement from Mr Cleary was read into the court. Mr Sheridan was too traumatised to provide one.

Mr Cleary said he had been diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) since the attack. He said he is always paranoid and in fear and stated that his life will never be the same again. He attempted suicide following the offences. 

“I’ll be battling my own mind for the rest of my life,” he stated.

He said he “lost his best friend”, Mr Sheridan following the attack. 

“I know Conor didn’t die but a big part of both us did,” Mr Cleary stated.

Cunningham and Regan accepted they were guilty of assault causing harm but still denied they were guilty of assault causing serious harm.

The court heard Cunningham has 44 previous convictions and was on bail for assaulting a former partner when these offences occurred.

Regan has six previous convictions for motoring offences and Fox has no previous convictions.

Judge Eoin Garavan said what occurred in the bedroom was a “scene of extraordinary degradation and horror".

“Both Mr Cunningham and Mr Regan were very angry, very violent, and very full of cocaine,” the Judge stated.

Judge Garavan said he believed there was an element of homophobia involved. He said the injured parties were called “paedophiles” and “faggots” and an arm put around Fox’s son appeared to “set the ball rolling” for the attacks.

Judge Garavan jailed Cunningham for nine years and Regan for eight years. He imposed a 30-month sentence on Fox with six months of the term suspended.