Man wielding machete was part of 'hit squad'
The defendant pleaded guilty at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court.
A man wielded a machete during a ‘hit squad’ attack connected to a Traveller feud.
Tommy Sweeney, aged 23, of Castle Park, Ballybane, Galway, pleaded guilty at Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm and possession of an article.
The court was told that Gardaí were called to Corrib Oil on The Neale Road, Ballinrobe on January 31, 2023, following a serious assault on a male.
The injured party, Patrick Barrett, was sitting in the driver's seat of a Toyota Avensis car when he was attacked by two men carrying a machete and a slash-hook. The man carrying the slash-hook was not before the court and garda investigations are continuing.
Both assailants had their faces covered but Sweeney was later identified through a handprint which he left on the roof of the victim’s car.
Sweeney and his co-accused had been circling the car park of the filling station for about 40 to 50 minutes before the attack took place.
The injured party had driven into the forecourt at around 12.35pm and parked while his passenger went into the shop.
CCTV of the attack was played in court. It showed Mr Barrett being struck with the slash-hook. As he fled the vehicle, Sweeney made lunging movements towards him with the machete but failed to connect. The CCTV showed the injured party collapsing in the doorway of the shop leaving behind a pool of blood.
Mr Barrett sustained a major head trauma and two large lacerations to his skull. He lost two litres of blood in the attack.
His attackers fled the scene and their vehicle was discovered burned out in Cloghans Hill, Tuam.
The court heard the assault was connected to a feud between the families. There have been 17 violent incidents linked to the feud which is understood to have started following an attack on Sweeney’s uncle in prison. The feud is ongoing.
Sweeney has nine previous convictions. He was 20 at the time of the offence and claimed he felt pressurised to become involved.
Judge Eoin Garavan said the defendant was “effectively part of a hit squad". He said he did not suggest the men intended to kill Mr Barrett but “death was on the cards". The judge said while Sweeney may not have landed the wounding blows he “had a good go".
Judge Garavan said this was a joint enterprise and it “didn’t matter who go the scalp”. The judge imposed a four-year prison sentence, suspending the final year.
- Published as part of the Court Reporting Scheme.
