A judge has directed that a secondary school student who assaulted a man in his 60s at a protest against a rumoured new accommodation centre for asylum seekers bring his forthcoming Leaving Cert results to court.
At Ennis District Court, Judge Alec Gabbett has directed that Ross Culligan (20) bring his June Leaving Cert results to court in September before finalising the case.
Judge Gabbett told Mr Culligan: “If you come in here with your Leaving Cert that might be the final icing on the cake on what is a very positive Probation Report.”
Judge Gabbett said: “I will put this back to September and see how the Leaving Cert goes – that is key.”
Solicitor for Mr Culligan, Tara Godfrey commented: “No pressure.”
Judge Gabbett said: “There is no need for pressure because he will do fine in the Leaving Cert.”
Ms Godfrey agreed, stating that her client is studying at an Ennis secondary school and is studying Irish and history.
Mr Culligan of Connolly Villas, Ennis has pleaded guilty to the assault causing harm of local man, Michael Neylon at Scool, Corofin contrary to Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act on May 22nd 2023.
Judge Gabbett told Mr Culligan: “Put this behind you – you have the capacity to do that.”
Ms Godfrey said that there “is a social media link in the case and there is this world that people become involved in with that doesn’t reflect who they are”
She said: “I can’t help thinking about Netflix’s Adolescence and also radicalising”.
Ms Godfrey said that Mr Culligan “is now apolitical – he deeply regrets involving himself with this group. Under any other circumstances, he would not be coming into this court.”
She said: “My client is ashamed of any part he had. He is in any other way non-criminal and I would ask you not to criminalise him here today.”
Judge Gabbett said that the Probation Report is very positive which shows Mr Culligan expressing regret and remorse, he has taken responsibility for his actions and is genuinely motivated to not reoffend for the future.
Previously outlining the State case against Mr Culligan, Sgt John Burke stated that a blockade was mounted against a rumoured centre for asylum seekers and Mr Culligan was one of those protesting.
Sgt Burke said that the alleged injured party, Mr Neylon, engaged with people in the blockade at the location “and there were verbals back and forth”.
Sgt Burke said that during the course of this, Mr Neylon was allegedly assaulted by Mr Culligan.
Mr Neylon suffered a facial injury as a result of the alleged assault.
Sgt Burke stated that the blockade was mounted over false reports and there were no plans to establish accommodation for asylum seekers at that location.
The protest in Scool, Corofin, Co Clare took place after it was organised via social media, in response to, as it turned out, false claims asylum seekers were going to be housed in the area.
These came about after a video was circulated online in which men toured a house containing multiple beds in each bedroom, claiming that it was going to house asylum seekers in the locality.
At the time, the Minister for Integration, Roderic O’Gorman (Green Party) ruled out the use of the Scool property for asylum seekers.
On RTE radio, Minister O’Gorman said at the time there had been “detailed misinformation” about the property being put into use.
He said: “This is entirely as the result of misinformation that’s been circulated on social media – detailed misinformation, setting out indicative numbers, indicative genders.”
He added: “We are not using the site that has been identified in Corofin. It’s never been offered to us and I suppose I can’t be clearer than that.”
Judge Gabbett adjourned the case to September.
