A 14-year old boy drove a car containing his bloodied and disfigured father and a 20 month old baby away from the scene of a frenzied machete attack.
At Ennis Circuit Court yesterday, Judge Gerald Keys said that father of 10, Bernie McDonagh had suffered ‘extraordinary injuries” in “an appalling event” that occurred as Mr McDonagh was collecting his children from primary school in Ennis on May 18th 2010.
In the ‘frenzied attack’, Mr McDonagh had his right ring finger cut off and sustained multiple injuries to head and body as the unarmed man was beaten by three others armed with a machete and two iron bars.
Mr McDonagh’s son John, before taking control of the Toyota Corolla car to drive his father to the nearby Ennis General Hospital, recovered his father’s severed finger after the attack and wrapped it in tissue – but doctors couldn't re-attach it.
Judge Keys yesterday jailed two second cousins of Bernard McDonagh, brothers, Michael McDonagh for four years with one year suspended and Anthony McDonagh for three years with one year suspended for their combined assault on Mr McDonagh.
Michael McDonagh (34) of Kilcruttin halting site, Kilcruttin, Tullamore, Co Offaly pleaded guilty to assaulting causing serious harm while Anthony McDonagh (28) Ardrew Walk, Dun Brinn, Athy, Kildare pleaded guilty to causing harm to Mr McDonagh.
A third brother, Patrick McDonagh has previously been jailed for three years for his role in the attack.
Judge Keys said that Bernard McDonagh “could have been killed” in what he described as an “absolutely outrageous incident”.
The judge said that the feuding between travellers “has to stop”.
Michael McDonagh used a machete in the attack with his two brothers using iron bars in an incident that was part of a feud at the time.
In a victim impact statement, Bernie McDonagh said that he had been a victim of “a senseless attack and my life will never be the same again.”
Mr McDonagh said that the attack had badly affected his 14 year old son, John, seven year old daughter, Linda and 20 month old grandson Marcus.
He said: “My life has been destroyed by what happened.”
In evidence, Det Garda John Casey said that Bernie McDonagh was initially attacked by the McDonaghs outside Ennis National School when they pulled up in their black Toyota Avenis.
He said that Michael McDonagh armed with the machete and Patrick McDonagh armed with an iron bar got out of their car and attacked Bernard McDonagh and damaged his car.
Det Casey said that Michael McDonagh during this attack struck Bernard McDonagh on the head with the machete.
The detective said that Bernard McDonagh in an effort to get away from the attackers drove through a red light and into the Market area of Ennis where he couldn’t drive any further and was subjected to a more intense attack where his finger was cut off.
Det Casey said that Bernard McDonagh “managed to get onto the back seat and threw himself over to children to protest them”.
The detective said that Michael McDonagh and Anthony McDonagh fled the jurisdiction after the attack.
He said that Gardai subsequently learned that the two were living in Offaly and Kildare and they were arrested and charged.
