The court heard harrowing details of the victim’s injuries which left him in a coma for three weeks and limited use of one arm
AN amateur boxer who punched a man to the face with a single blow in an “unprovoked attack” was today jailed for a year.
Declan Murtagh will spend a further two years on supervised licence with the Probation Board on his release from prison.
The 31-year-old, of Ballymurphy Parade in West Belfast, had previously pleaded guilty to a single charge of grievous bodily harm.
Belfast Crown Court heard on July 2, 2024, the male victim was walking to a local shop and was approached by a male who “sought him out”. The court was told he knew the male as “Declan” who was in a relationship with his neighbour.
It was the prosecution case that Murtagh approached the male “in an aggressive manner which frightened him and this was his last memory” before being taken away by ambulance.
A witness to the “one punch” incident told police he saw Murtagh walk up to the victim and say “Leave her alone” and then he punched him to the face.
The victim fell to the ground and as Murtagh went to walk away he turned round and saw the man lying on the ground. He went over to him, got down on his knees and put him on his side and told a woman in a white car to “phone an ambulance”.
Murtagh then got into the passenger seat of the white car and left the scene before police arrived. The witness said he went over to the victim who appeared to be “coughing up blood and was unresponsive”.
Murtagh was subsequently arrested and during interviews with police he was asked to describe himself and he replied: “Sexy.” At a further interview he apologised for this remark.
When he was charged with the offence of grievous bodily harm, Murtagh said: “I am genuinely sorry. I hope the wee lad is alright.”
Defence lawyer Declan Quinn said Murtagh has expressed his “abject remorse” for what he did. He told the court that the defendant has now stopped consuming drugs and has “deliberately absented himself from peers who he previously associated himself with in relation to alcohol”.
“He has a previous love for boxing but he has stayed away from that as it brings back memories of this incident,” added Mr Quinn.
Judge Gordon Kerr KC said that following the attack, the victim was taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital to be treated for what he described as “highly significant injuries”.
Along with having two teeth knocked out, the victim also suffered haemorrhaging to the brain, there was also swelling to the brain and there was a fracture to the base of the skull. The victim spent some time in the Intensive Care Unit and was ventilated for a period.
In a victim impact statement, the injured male said: “I had to have surgery on my head to release the pressure on my brain and I had part of my skull removed.
“I had to have a tube inserted into my neck to allow me to breathe. I was in a coma for three weeks and I had to stay in hospital for a period of five months and I was finally allowed to come home in December 2024.
“As a result of this incident, my right arm and hand are still affected. I have limited use and to use my right arm and hand takes a significant effort. The incident left me frightened to go outside.
“When I first got out of hospital I was conscious of the notable scar on my head and I am now getting use to it.”
The court heard Murtagh has 41 previous convictions which included six assaults on police, ten of common assault, one entry for possessing an offensive weapon and six for disorderly behaviour.
At the time of the attack he was on probation for an offence of common assault. He was assessed by the Probation Board as a high likelihood of reoffending but does not pose a danger to the public.
Judge Kerr said one of the most serious aggravating features in the case was the “significant impact the permanent scarring has had on the victim which could properly be described as a long-term, life-changing injury as a result of an entirely unprovoked attack”.
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