A 22-year old man who flashed at a judge in court has pleaded guilty to a vicious assault of a teen.
At Ennis Circuit Court, Brian ‘Clare’ Joyce, along with his younger brother, John ‘Clare’ Joyce (20) pleaded guilty to the assault causing serious harm to Danny Harty on October 14th 2015.
A court has already heard that the Joyce brothers – formerly of St Enda’s, Beechpark, Ennis – used knives and blades to slash and stab Mr Harty at his home in Ennis.
The teen required 200 stitches to his face and arm after being assaulted by the Joyce brothers.
Penalty for those convicted of assault causing serious harm is up to life in jail.
The attack by the Joyces on Mr Harty resulted in a court appearance for the two where Brian Joyce exposed his penis at Judge Patrick Durcan and mooned at him in court.
In court in October 2015, Brian ‘Clare’ Joyce mooned at Judge Durcan and as he slapped his exposed bare backside, Joyce shouted ‘Up the Joyces! Up the Clare Joyces!’
Mr Joyce then turned around to expose his penis to the shocked judge and court. Mr Joyce’s actions sparked a melee in court that ensued where John Joyce punched Garda Robert Grant into the head and chest before a number of Gardaí restored order.
Judge Durcan suspended court sittings and went to his chambers and on his return to court, he said what had occurred “was the worst outbreak of violence I have ever witnessed in a court either as a practitioner or as a judge”.
Judge Durcan said that behaviour in the courtroom had “sunk to a level of depravity that I’ve never encountered before”.
Three days after the court disturbance, Mr Joyce was subject to a horrific prison assault that left with a significant brain injury that required brain surgery.
Last year at the district court, Mr Joyce pleaded guilty to his actions in causing the court disturbance.
Judge Aeneas McCarthy imposed a three month jail term on Brian Joyce but because of the difficulties associated with the man’s brain injury, Judge McCarthy suspended the jail term.
Counsel for the State in the circuit court assault case, Lorcan Connolly BL said that the Joyce brothers could be remanded on bail for sentence to April at Ennis Circuit Court.
