Waterford man assaulted sister in family row, court told
A man in his 30s appeared before Waterford District Court after punching his sister in the face, leaving her with a split lip. The case was adjourned to February 2027.
Waterford man struck sister in face during argument, judge calls impact statement "too powerful"
A man in his 30s from Waterford appeared before Judge John Cheatle at Waterford District Court this week, charged with assault contrary to Section 2 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, waterford-news.ie reports.
The defendant, who cannot be named in order to protect his sister's identity, struck the woman in the face during an argument, leaving her with a split lip. The victim was absent from proceedings, though the accused's mother and other family members were present in court.
Solicitor Ken Cunningham told the court that the assault occurred during a period of "high stress" for the defendant. "He left the family home and went through homelessness," Cunningham said. The court heard that the accused is currently in full-time employment and holds both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree.
Cunningham described his client as a "strong support" for his sister, but acknowledged their relationship was now "tenuous at best". He asked the court to strike out the matter.
Judge Cheatle asked the defendant's mother directly: "Where is your daughter?" and was told she had left the family home late last year.
The judge was subsequently handed the Victim Impact Statement. After reading it, he remarked: "This is too powerful."
The case was adjourned for finalisation to 27 February 2027. The accused remains on bail.
Source: Google News IE — Crime (en)