Man told to pay assault victim ?9,000
A MAN who walked next door and punched his neighbour in the mouth has been told by a judge to pay him ?9,000 compensation.
Siobhán Gaffney, for Barry Matthews, told the Circuit Civil Court that her client admitted the assault on electrician Andrew McDermott in July 2009.
Mr McDermott (48), St Conleth’s Road, Walkinstown, Dublin, told her that Matthews, who lived next door, had made some allegation about bullying involving their two sons.
“There was a knock at the door and I went out to answer it,” Mr McDermott said.
“Barry Matthews was standing at the door and punched me in the mouth.”
Mr McDermott told his barrister Abdulla Morgan Kamber that his left upper lip had been lacerated “through and through”. There had been blood everywhere and on the hall floor, which he did not want his children to see.
He had gone to St James’s Hospital, Dublin, where he had received six stitches in a 1.5cm cut in his lip.
He had been detained until the following day but he had lost only one day at work because of the injury.
Later he had lost several days from work because of appearances he had to make in court.
Mr Morgan Kamber told Mr Justice Matthew Deery that liability had been conceded in the case and it was for the court to determine damages.
He said agreed medical reports revealed that the laceration traversed the vermilion border of the lip which made the permanent scar much more obvious to the casual onlooker.
Ms Gaffney said the action of her client had hugely affected his life.
Matthews, she said, had left his home and obtained rented accommodation.
He had undergone marital upheaval since the incident.
Awarding Mr McDermott €9,000 damages against his former neighbour, Mr Justice Deery said the incident had been unfortunate
