No jail for Dublin GAA star Diarmuid Connolly for ‘unprovoked’ New Year’s Eve assaults

He appeared at Dublin District Court again for sentencing on Thursday after he pleaded guilty last month before Judge Michele Finan.

He said “Yeah” when Judge Finan asked if he understood the seriousness of the case having delayed complying with a €2,000 compensation payment by four weeks and leaving the court “waiting” for him last time.

She noted that he admitted the offence. “I’ll take it as an isolated incident but this behaviour cannot be tolerated, do you understand?” she said, and Connolly nodded in reply “I am,” he said, when asked if he was taking it seriously.

At an earlier hearing of the evidence, on May 30, Garda Niamh Carolan said officers responded to an incident and attended the scene.

“Mr Kiely and Mr Grimes made statements and identified the suspected offender as Diarmuid Connolly,” the garda said. “Mr Kiely alleged that in an unprovoked assault, he was punched and dragged to the ground by Mr Connolly, resulting in Mr Connolly ripping a North Face jacket belonging to Mr Kiely.”

“It was then reported that Mr Grimes came to the aid of Mr Kiely and was subsequently assaulted also, having received a punch to the right side of his face by Mr Connolly.”

The court heard a later Garda interview with the accused “was of a no-comment nature.” However, CCTV evidence from the area that night was obtained.

Judge Finan asked if the two injured parties were present at the hearing and was told they had come to court. State solicitor Niall McGinty explained that they decided not to stay after learning about Connolly’s guilty plea.

The judge noted they suffered facial bruising and swelling but did not want to provide victim impact statements.

The assault charge in this case is in a category that could result in sentences of up to six months in prison per offence, but the judge noted that Connolly had no recorded convictions. Defence solicitor Daniel Hanahoe said his client worked as an electrician and has two young children.

The solicitor said it was New Year’s Eve, and “he does not particularly remember how the incident happened. It was a regrettable incident, regrettable that he got involved in that situation.”

The solicitor said the second injured party was assaulted after he intervened and ran after Connolly, who had not wanted the incident to continue any further. Mr Hanahoe suggested that his client could bring some compensation for them.

The judge described it as an unfortunate offence, but she remarked that Connolly dealt with it appropriately. She noted he informed the prosecution he would plead guilty, relieving the witnesses from having to give evidence.

She told him to pay €1,000 to each complainant and suggested doing it that day. Father-of-two Connolly spoke up and insisted, “I’ll get it today”.

Connolly left to get the money and the case stood adjourned until his return. However, three hours later, Judge Finan saw that he was still not back and she adjourned the case until Thursday when he brought the compensation to court.

His GAA career saw him help Dublin win six All-Ireland football championships, 10 Leinster titles, four league titles, and two All-Star Awards.

In 2014, he was also spared a possible jail sentence and a criminal conviction for an unprovoked attack on a man in a pub.

He had pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Anthony Kelly, who suffered a fractured eye-socket, at a pub in Phibsboro, in Dublin, in the early hours of August 6, 2012.

However, the case was dismissed after he offered an unreserved apology, completed an anger-management course, and paid €5,000 compensation to the victim who donated it to the court’s poor box.