A former League of Ireland footballer has told the Meath Live he “will go to the ends of the earth to get justice” after charges of violent disorder against two men over an incident in which the ex player received serious facial injuries and facing surgery on his knee, were struck out at Drogheda district court last November.
Matthew Askins (23) and 49 year old Neil Canny from the county Louth town had pleaded guilty to the offence but after defence solicitor Paddy Goodwin put forward an argument of self defence Judge Ciaran Luddy struck out after ordering both men to donate €300 each to Drogheda Tidy Towns.
The outcome has left former Drogheda United midfielder Pat ‘Mini’ Mohan furious as he claims vital evidence was not displayed to the judge on the day. Now after seeking advice from the department of justice he is preparing to make a complaint to the Garda Ombudsman and pursue a civil case against the two defendants,
He said, “I am annoyed that the judge was not presented with either video evidence or photos of my injuries. “I wrote to Helen McEntee when she was minister for justice and she advised me to contact the Ombudsman with a complaint and I am in the process of doing that, I am also being advised as to how I go about commencing a civil action against both men, I didn’t deserve what happened me.”
Former Drogheda United midfielder Pat ‘Mini’ Mohan.
“I was walking home from the local shop with a bottle of wine to celebrate Liverpool winning the Carabao Cup when a black car drove out of a car park and blocked the footpath
“I asked the occupants to be careful and they got out and attacked me, there were more of them than me so why would I start the row,
“The mobile phone footage shows me being knocked out with a headbutt and repeatedly butted afterwards.
“The judge was never shown that and nobody can tell me why, well somebody can but nobody has.
“Also the camera doesn’t lie and I gave the authorities numerous photos of my injuries but they were not shown to the court either.
“This happened in February 2024 and only this week the surgeon told me I need a knee operation so that’s me finished coaching and managing local teams.
” This whole thing has scarred me mentally, I used be a social animal but now I rarely go out and when I do I am nervy.
“After all the physical blows I took for the justice system to slap me in the face was an even more devastating blow
“But just like my playing days I will bounce back from a hard knock and fight on..
I am not letting this lie until justice is done
“I’ll go to the ends of the earth for justice, I can’t let this go, it will eat away at me until I get justice”
