A MAN whose one-punch assault left a Killarney man fighting for his life in Australia four years ago has been given a suspended one-year sentence in court.
Timmy McCarthy from Tiernaboul, Spa, sustained major head injuries and was in a coma for over a week as a result of the assault outside an all-night convenience store in Canberra on 24 July 2011.
Daniel Byrne, then aged 18, struck the then 41-year-old Killarney man and he was left unconscious after banging his head on the pavement in the incident that occurred at 5.30am.
Mr McCarthy, who had to undergo extensive treatment for cerebral haemorrhaging, was in a coma and on life support for a period of time.
Byrne, now 21, had been sentenced to one year in jail and served seven months of his sentence before his conviction was overturned on appeal last August, according to report Australian media reports.
He has now been tried again on a lesser assault charge and he pleaded guilty.
The court heard that Timmy McCarthy, who was a tourist in Canberra at the time of the attack, still has frequent headaches and his medication prevents him from driving or working as a builder. He also has severe scars which have impacted considerably on his life.
The court was told that Byrne has made an attempt to turn his life around and has abstained from alcohol since the attack which happened after Mr McCarthy had approached the then teenager and a group of friends and started chatting about an upcoming football game between Ireland and Australia.
The judge sentenced him to one year but, taking into account the fact he had already served seven months, and his prospects of rehabilitation, he suspended the sentence.
The judge told Byrne: “You are very lucky Mr McCarthy didn’t die.”
