A Derry man was today ordered to pay £4,000 compensation to a man whose head he stamped on during an attack in the city centre.
It is one of the highest ever compensation orders imposed at Derry Magistrates Court.
The attack took place in the city centre in February 8, 2015.
The local court was shown CCTV footage of the attack during which 29-year-old Ciaran Gallagher is seen attacking the man before stamping on his head.
Gallagher’s solicitor told the court that his client had only ever been in court before for motoring offences and said he had an ‘impeccable character’ before this incident.
The solicitor said that a number of people had provided ‘excellent’ references for Gallagher, who is from Hawthorn Drive in Derry, despite knowing the circumstances of the matter before the court.
He said that Gallagher claimed he had been involved in an incident in a pub earlier in the evening with another man.
In his inebriated state, the solicitor said, Gallagher mistakenly believed that the man he had attacked had been the man with which he had had the earlier disagreement.
However, he later realised that the man attacked was totally innocent.
District Judge Barney McElholm said he found it difficult to understand how someone could stamp on another person’s head.
“This fills me with revulsion,” he said.
He imposed a jail sentence of 11 months but suspended it for three years.
He also ordered Gallagher to pay the £4,000 to the injured party by way of instalments.
If you have a story or want to send a photo or video to us please contact the Derry Now editorial team. Between 9am and 5pm Monday to Sunday please call 028 7129 6600 for Derry City stories or 028 7774 3970 for County Derry stories. Between 5pm and midnight please call or text 07825 711978. Or you can email john.gill@derrynews.net at any time.
