An altercation between two early-morning dog walkers in a Dunshaughlin park had a sequel in Trim District Court where one of them appeared on a charge of assault. Thomas Moore, College park, Dunshaughlin was charged with assaulting a Ms Bond on on 11 th May last year. He was also charged with threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour on the same occasion.
Ms Bond told the court that she was walking her two small dogs in the park when she saw a man about 150 metres away from her. He was calling his dog and the dog was not responding. He was trying to get his dog and to put a lead around his dog. She said he was swearing and shouting. She thought he was drunk and he was “slurring his words”.
She told the court that she started to walk away because she didn’t know if her dog was going to be injured. She had taken a photo of the defendant. She also alleged that the defendant “grabbed my left arm very tightly” and that he called her “an effing bitch”. The woman claimed that the defendant had followed her and that she had gone over to another woman to ask for help.
Cross-examined by defending barrister James O’Brien she said the defendant’s dog had no collar on and defendant was trying to make a collar out of a lead to put onto the dog. He put it to her that she had told his client “You’re drunk, you’re a disgrace. She replied that she was scared. She had taken a photo of defendant because her puppy was “screeching and yelping”. Asked by the barrister why she had not phoned for the Gardai she said she was just looking to go home.
The defendant in evidence said his dog was a boxer cross with a red setter and a very friendly dog. He said that when he went into the park the lead slipped from the dog. He said the woman was “screaming and kicking out at my dog” and he denied hitting her dog. He claimed she was “effing and blinding at me”. “That lead snapped, that’s what happened”, he said to Judge Eirinn McKiernan. In relation to the allegation that he grabbed the woman he replied “I absolutely did not follow her. I had no physical contact with this lady whatsoever”.
Questioned by Court Presenter Sergeant Peter Clarke he denied grabbing Ms Bond. He said that when the Gardai called to the house with the allegation he had replied “This is a joke. I’d have to go to court and fight that”. He denied called her “a f****** bitch”. “I was no threat to her. I had no reason to threaten her”. “I didn’t punch her, absolutely not. I was trying to get my dog back under control”.
The judge said the event must have been a very traumatic one for Ms Bond. However, she felt it didn’t reach the bar for a conviction for assault. She felt the matter could be sorted out through an apology to Ms Bond and asked defendant to pay €300 donation to Coolronan Animal Shelter.
