Landscape gardener who is ‘creative consultant for U2’ punched Ryanair worker unconscious

Mark McCabe (58) had been in Ireland for a meeting with singer Gavin Friday and was returning to London when he attacked the airline crew member, a court heard.

McCabe got into an argument about scanning his boarding pass before hitting the victim “multiple times” in the head.

Judge John Hughes warned him he was in the “crosshairs” of being jailed, told him to bring further mitigation to court and adjourned the case.

McCabe, with an address at Kilcross Square, Sandyford, Dublin, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm.

Garda Emmet O’Byrne told Dublin District Court the incident happened at Gate 106 in Terminal 1 at 9.45pm on November 9 last year.

He was called to the scene and was told by airport police that a Ryanair staff member had been removed by ambulance to hospital.

The victim had been boarding passengers on a flight to England when the accused scanned his boarding pass without being asked.

He was told he would have to wait as other passengers were still being processed and an “argument ensued,” Gda O’Byrne said.

“He stated ‘OK, I made a mistake, what are you going to do about it?’” the garda said.

When asked to keep his voice down, McCabe told the worker: “that is the way I talk” and asked to speak to the manager. There was no manager there and he was then told he was not going to board due to his disruptive behaviour, the garda continued.

“He punched the injured party in the head, knocking him straight to the ground,” he said. The victim suffered concussion and told the court he was out of work for a week after.

McCabe himself had a swollen fist after assaulting the man and was given a referral to an emergency department after his release from custody. He had no prior convictions.

In court today, McCabe disputed some of the garda’s evidence but maintained his plea of guilty.

The accused told the court he was a high-end landscape gardener and had worked as a creative consultant for U2. He said when he was in Ireland he had a meeting with Gavin Friday and was returning home when the incident happened. He said he had “rehearsed an apology” for punching the victim.

McCabe, who was well-respected in his field, had been a semi-finalist at the Chelsea Flower Show, his solicitor John Feaheny said. On the day, he had been stressed with work and travelling and was “just somebody at the end of his tether.”

It was not an excuse for what happened and he was “appalled and ashamed.” McCabe was “not a fighter,” he was genuinely remorseful and “could never in a million years have imagined himself in this situation.”

He was cooperative with the gardai and had actually called the airport police himself, as had the airline.

Judge Hughes said it was a “most serious matter”, the accused had punched a man multiple times and put him in hospital.

McCabe may have rehearsed an apology but he came to court with “one arm as long as the other”, without any compensation.

“You can’t in any civilised society go around hitting people,” without consequences, the judge said.

He adjourned the case to September, for McCabe to “try to convince me why I shouldn’t send him to jail.”