A man has been convicted and fined for assaulting his 18-year old niece at her grandmother’s house after he grabbed her arm and threatened her with his fist.
aoirse Lyne told Cahersiveen District Court that on July 18, 2020 she drove out to her grandmother’s house in Kells and got of her car and walked to the shed near the field where her pony was.
She said her uncle John Lyne and cousin PJ were there in the sheds opposite and that “they ignored each other as per usual.”
She said John then shouted at her about a dog that had gone missing, asking her what she had done with the dog.
"He was shouting profanities at me. I made a gesture at him. He ran towards me and I ran away. He grabbed me and had his fist up to me but he didn’t me. I got away and ran to the car,” she told the court.
"I tried to get away as fast as possible,” she added.
She said John then held the door of the car preventing her from driving away. She said she suffered some bruising in the incident and pictures were shown to the court.
She said she did attend the doctor at the time and everything was fine.
Arising out of the incident John Lyne of Boulerdagh, Kells was charged with assault of Saoirse Lyne who the court heard was 18 at the time of the incident and was now 20. The court heard John is 57 years of age.
Solicitor Padraig O’Connell represented Mr Lyne but Mr Lyne did not attend court to face the charge, which is his decision to do so.
Mr O’Connell said he did not want to cross-examine the witness Saoirse Lyne so as not “to aggravate the situation when Mr Lyne is not in court.”
The court heard that Mr Lyne denied the incident. He attended Cahersiveen Garda Station voluntarily and said in response to Saoirse’s complaint.
"I have nothing to say .. It didn’t happen. She was boasting about having my dog and she ran for her car and I ran after her and she drove off.”
Mr O’Connell said it was a “shaggy dog tale” arising out of an issue between relatives.
Ms Lyne was informed by Judge David Waters that she could give a victim impact statement on the effect the incident had on her and he would adjourn to case to allow her to decide this.
However, Ms Lyne, said she did not want to do.
Judge David Waters said it was clear “there was a lot more behind it and there are some difficulties between them.”
He said Ms Lyne’s evidence was ‘truthful’ and it was evident she had been assaulted. He said Mr Lyne was not here to meet the case which was his choice. He convicted him in his absence and fined him €500.
