‘MENACING’ | 

Dad seized neighbour by beard and beat him after claims victim ‘made moves’ on wife

Attacker John McDonagh separately threatened to put a “Traveller’s curse” on a garda and a pipe bomb under his car, a court heard.

Andrew Phelan

Today at 07:30

A father of five stormed into his neighbour’s home, seized him by the beard and beat him following claims the victim had “made moves on” his wife.

Attacker John McDonagh separately threatened to put a “Traveller’s curse” on a garda and a pipe bomb under his car, a court heard.

Jailing him for a year, Judge John Hughes said the assault victim had been left with “nasty” injuries, while the threat to the garda was “menacing and sinister”.

McDonagh (34) had pleaded not guilty to assault causing harm to Thomas Lawrence, and trespassing at his home at St Margaret’s Park, Ballymun, on May 25 last year.

He admitted threatening to kill or cause serious harm to a garda at Rathfarnham station on April 9, 2023.

Mr Lawrence told Dublin District Court he was sitting on his sofa when McDonagh came in, knelt on him, “caught me by the beard and he kept punching me” in front of his screaming children.

His facial injuries included a “busted” lip, a cut to his forehead, pressure marks around his neck and a bite mark under his nipple.

The victim and McDonagh had a “close” friendship that turned sour months earlier.

McDonagh’s wife Margaret claimed that in 2021, after her husband cheated on her, Mr Lawrence had told her “he doesn’t deserve you, you’re too good for him”. Later, she alleged, Mr Lawrence “made moves” on her in a pub. Mr Lawrence denied this.

Defence barrister Fergal McMorrow said Ms McDonagh had been forthright and frank, with “dirty laundry being aired in the most public of forums”, Mr McMorrow said.

In the garda threat incident, McDonagh told the officer he would “smash his head in” and “put a Traveller curse on him” that he would get cancer.

He threatened he would put a pipe bomb under the garda’s car “and wait till it goes boom”.

“I’m going to kill you and I’m going to record it and watch it back,” he said.

Mr McMorrow said this was said in anger without any intention.

Finding McDonagh guilty on the assault and trespass charges, Judge Hughes sentenced him to a total of 15 months, with three suspended.