John Mulligan

assistance from other patrons at the bar.

Mr. Cox said fingers were forced into his eyes and he feared his vision would be permanently damaged.

He said waiting for the all clear for his vision was deeply distressing.

He said he was treated afterwards for a suspected fractured eye socket.

He suffered significant bruising, a black eye.

He said he felt embarrassed to be seen in public by his work colleagues and his family with his injuries.

He said the impact went beyond physical injuries.

He said it

He changed from being an outgoing, happy-go-lucky fella to being short-tempered and frustrated, and he said he had sought counselling to try to deal with the psychological impact.

And Mr Cox also delivered a victim impact statement to the court, and it was heard that

It not only impacted him, but his family.

And he said he had never received any expression of remorse or apology from the Chalks.

And he said he was deeply appreciative of the efforts of the staff at the Dunraven Arms, the other guests who came to his aid, the Gardaí who arrived and prosecuted the matter.

And he felt fortunate, he said, even though given the level of aggression displayed by Bill and Alison Chalk on the night,

He felt his injuries could have been worse, although he said the psychological impact on him has been greater than he first imagined.

So prior to pleading guilty to what the court heard was an unprovoked assault, Bill Chalk told Gardaí he believed or he perceived that Mr. McNeil and Mr. Cox had looked at him in a strange way, he said.

After he entered the Dunraven Arms on the night, he said he approached them and asked them if they had a problem.

He said others got involved and Bill Chalk initially claimed he was grabbed in a headlock and that Mr. Cox had tried to pull him to the ground.

However, the prosecution told the court that the CCTV footage showed otherwise and that he was having an incorrect memory of this.

And Bill Chalk said...