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An Ardee farmer who was told by a 71-year-old to move his tractor so he could get past him on a narrow country lane has been given a suspended sentence at Dundalk Circuit Court.
Peter McEneaney, (40), Edmondstown, Ardee, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to the now 73-year-old following an incident on 5 June 2014 at Arthurstown, Ardee.
The victim was driving a tractor with silage and his son-in-law was driving a tractor behind him when he saw an oncoming John Deere tractor pull over at the top of the hill to let them by.
There was a sprayer on the back of McEneaney’s tractor and when he saw the victim in his tractor, the defendant pulled out and moved 20 yards forward, blocking the road. There was deadlock and the three men sat in their tractors for a few minutes before the victim got out to speak to McEneaney to get him to move.
The victim was punched in the face by the defendant
McEneaney got out at the same time, waving his arms and the pair met in front of the tractor. The victim was punched in the face by the defendant before he was hit, punched and kicked on the ground before the son-in-law intervened and grabbed McEneaney in a headlock.
The victim was unconscious on the ground for some minutes and McEneaney told Gardaí who arrived at the scene that he had hit the 71-year-old.
The farmer, who has 19 grandchildren, was treated for injuries to his eye, which continues to water and has ongoing tinnitus as a result of the assault.
The victim, who was in court last week for the sentencing, said in an impact statement that the assault was ‘unprovoked and vicious’.
Judge Michael O’Shea was told there was background to the incident, as the victim had sometimes driven his tractor on the grass verge outside McEneaney’s elderly parents’ house to let traffic past and they had reported a number of these infringements to Gardai.
Stones, as well as a jeep, had been parked on the verge to stop this happening, but since the assault, these had been removed.
References from a priest, and officials from the IFA and GAA were handed into court which stated this one-off incident was ‘completely out of character’
His parents ‘wrongly and mistakenly’ believed at the time of the assault that the victim driving on the verge was a slight against them and the defendant was ‘very protective of his mum and dad’.
McEneaney, who has no previous convictions and is involved in the IFA and GAA in his area, had paid €20,000 to the victim as compensation in a civil case.
Barrister Lily Buckley said her client, a farmer and father of five, feels deeply ashamed and remorseful for what he did and he knows he shouldn’t have taken any feud to the level that he did.
Judge O’Shea said that no matter what the background, ‘no-one should take the law into their own hands’.
If McEneaney had pulled over on the day to let the victim past, there would have been no confrontation, no assault and no injuries to the victim, the judge said.
References from a priest, and officials from the IFA and GAA were handed into court which stated this one-off incident was ‘completely out of character’ for McEneaney. The feud ended following the assault and there have been no further incidents.
Judge O’Shea said the ‘multiple injuries’ had affected the victim’s life and McEneaney had taken ‘positive steps’ with the compensation and the removal of the jeep and stones from the grass verge.
The judge imposed a two year sentence, suspended for two years.
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