Pinned boy to fence as group assaulted him
A COOKSTOWN man, who assaulted a 10-year-old boy who took his football, has received a seven month suspended prison sentence from East Tyrone Magistrate’s Court.
Miguel Alin, 19, from The Spires in the town, was also convicted of a double assault on two men on a bar dance floor two months before the assault on the boy.
The court heard how police were called to a bar around 1.30am on December 29 2011 after an altercation had taken place. Two women said how they had been on the dance floor when two other women attacked them, knocking one of them to the floor. Two males had gone to their aid and were immediately set upon by 6-10 other males who attacked them with fists and feet.
The victims described how the attack on their party lasted for almost an hour as they tried to leave the bar and make their way home.
The injured men received head and facial injuries.
Police checked CCTV and identified the defendant, a student originally from East Timor. Under interview he refused to give the names of the other people involved in the scuffle.
On February 11 2012 - two months after the first incident - police were approached by a tearful 10-year-old boy who said that he had been assaulted while playing football in the Burn Road area.
He claimed that he had been held against a fence by the defendant while three others punched and kicked him at least ten times. Mr Alin subsequently admitted the charge.
“I find these two cases genuinely shocking,” said District Judge John Meehan. “The only question is whether or not to suspend a custodial sentence for this vicious, violent mob behaviour.”
After deliberation, Judge Meehan handed down fines totalling £200 and two concurrent sentences of three months in jail, suspended for two years, for the double assault in the bar. A four month jail sentence, again suspended for two years, was handed down for the third assault on the boy. It was ordered to run consecutively to the first sentences.
An offender’s levy of £15 and a £100 compensation order in the 2012 case were also imposed.
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