Judge 'won't be dictated to' by assault accused

Chris Donegan • Published 31 Jan 2012 15:30

A 35-year-old man seen punching another man in the face and knocking him to the ground outside a pub burnt his bridges when he appeared at Fermanagh Court.

Shane Quigley, of Lisgoole Park, Drumgallen, Enniskillen, admitted the assault and the case was adjourned for the preparation of a pre-sentence report.

However, defence solicitor Mr. Niall Bogue said Quigley didn't want to waste the court's time with a report. He wanted to go abroad to look for work.

District Judge Mervyn Bates told him: "This isn't a pick and mix centre. He doesn't decide how I deal with him. I decide how I deal with him.

"I will not be dictated to by a defendant as to when he wants his case dealt with. I'm not dealing with this today," he stated.

Adjourning the case for four weeks to decide whether or not to send Quigley to prison, he added: "You have now burnt your bridges."

A prosecutor told the court that around 2am on Saturday, December 3, last year, police on duty at The Diamond in Enniskillen saw Quigley outside the Crowe's Nest pub. He appeared to be trying to start a fight with another man, then punched him in the face hard enough to knock him to the ground. He claimed the other man had been trying to hit his brother.

The District Judge noted from Quigley's criminal record that he had a conviction for a serious assault in 2005.

Mr. Bogue said there had been nothing of that seriousness since then.

The case was adjourned for four weeks pending the preparation of a pre-sentence report by a probation officer.

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