Unemployed landscaper assaulted a taxi driver who drove him straight to Lurgan police station, Craigavon court hears
A man who had previously dodged paying a full fare was taken straight to Lurgan police station by a taxi driver who he assaulted, a court has heard.
Damien McCaughley, aged 37, from Princes Street, Lurgan appeared before Craigavon Magistrates Court, pleading guilty to assault.
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The court heard that police were responding to reports of a fight outside the police station on March 8, when they spotted a taxi parked with a man standing beside it and another man standing away from the vehicle.
The taxi driver identified himself and told police the defendant ‘assaulted him while driving and continued to hit him in the vehicle and outside the station’.
McCaughley told police the taxi driver had assaulted him in an argument over a previous fare and that he took him to the police station instead of where he had requested.
The court was told that while the taxi driver later went to Lurgan station to give a statement, McCaughley failed to show up for an agreed interview.
District Judge Michael Ranaghan said he was concerned that this was an assault of someone at work.
Defence solicitor Harry McCourt said he didn’t believe the victim was assaulted while he was driving.
“He has picked this man up. Once he (McCaughley) gets into his car he realises this man has previously not paid a full fare.
"They have an argument in the taxi. He takes him to the police station. Mr McCaughley is irate that he’s not being taken to where he was supposed to go.
"At this stage there is an allegation of assault. But there’s no allegation that he’s assaulted him while he was driving the taxi,” said Mr McCourt.
District Judge Ranaghan said: “It’s during the course of his employment. That’s the point that I make.”
Mr McCourt revealed there was an argument outside the police station and his client "fully accepts” that he was at fault.
He said the defendant has issues with alcohol and his incident was “alcohol-fuelled”.
He said McCaughley was “the victim of a very serious assault in June”.
“This has been a wake-up call for him. I have seen CCTV footage of that assault and it seems unprovoked. He was admitted to hospital and spent some time in intensive care. He was released and then spent more time in intensive care after he collapsed and suffered a fractured skull.
"He now knows you can’t go around hitting people. He got a taste of his own medicine, as it were,” said Mr McCourt, adding this has had a “significant impact” on McCaughley and he hasn’t worked in recent months.
"He does accept this man was working. There was some dispute about previous payments but he shouldn’t have reacted the way he did but alcohol was on board,” said Mr McCourt. He added that McCaughley was seeking to address his alcohol problems.
The solicitor also revealed that not only is McCaughley not working and not getting benefits but he owes the court £2,000 in fines .
"He is living off his mother and father,” the solicitor said, adding that McCaughley is a self-employed landscaper.
The defendant was given a three months jail term, suspended for 12 months. He ordered him to pay his victim £200 compensation.