Mayo assault location described by judge as 'not necessarily the safest street to be on'
“Victim savagely attacked by three strangers”
A JUDGE has remarked that a Mayo street is “not necessarily the safest to be on” following an unprovoked late-night assault.
Sean Rowan, aged 31, of Garryduff Drive, Castlebar, and brothers Martin Conroy, aged 49, of Ballyduggan, Loughrea, Co. Galway, and Brian Conroy, aged 58, of The Fairways, Castlebar, appeared before Castlebar Circuit Criminal Court.
Rowan pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and the Conroys admitted to a charge of affray following the incident at Linenhall Street, Castlebar, on February 11, 2024.
Garda Martin Friel told the court that at 1.45 a.m. he received a report of a fight on the street.
He spoke to a security guard at Cox’s bar who observed the incident and pointed to Martin Conroy as one of the men involved. When gardaí approached him, Martin Conroy was intoxicated and arrested under the Public Order Act.
The injured party, Eglis Pavlovs, aged 43, of Rowan Drive, Castlebar, had already been transported to Mayo University Hospital.
The court was later told the injured party sustained a 20cm cut to his head, a wound over his eye and a broken nose.
The attack occurred outside Rocky’s bar and CCTV footage from the pub was played in court. It showed the victim walking with his wife when he is called back by Martin Conroy who then headbutts him.
The injured party defended himself and when Brian Conroy saw his brother on the ground, he became involved.
Sean Rowan initially attempted to act as a peacemaker but then “lost control”, pushing the injured party to the ground, throwing punches, and shoving him against a concrete wall. It is believed the collision with the wall caused the most serious injury to Mr. Pavlovs.
Rowan and Brian Conroy have no previous convictions. Martin Conroy has two previous convictions.
The court was told Brian Conroy is a former army corporal who now works for the Department of Transport. His brother works as a scaffolder while Rowan is a personal trainer.
Nobody was able to give an explanation as to why the injured party was attacked. They did not know each other.
There was a suggestion that Martin Conroy and the victim may have bumped into each other as one exited a bar and the other entered.
All three men had €2,500 each in court as compensation for the victim and expressed their remorse.
Judge Eoin Garavan said “death could easily have resulted” from the incident.
Pointing to recent late-night incidents, he suggested that the Linenhall Street area is “not necessarily the safest street to be out on at 1.30 a.m. in the morning".
The judge said he believed Brian Conroy to be the least culpable of the trio. He said the man emerged from the bar with no knowledge of what had happened previously and saw his brother on the ground.
Judge Garavan said the incident was instigated by Martin Conroy’s actions when an “explosion of anger” occurred.
He stated that Rowan initially tried to de-escalate the situation before “the red mist descended".
The judge said it was “outrageous” that the victim was “savagely attacked by three strangers”.
Judge Garavan directed that the compensation to the injured party by Sean Rowan and Martin Conroy be increased to €3,500. He was satisfied that the €2,500 Brian Conroy had in court was sufficient.
The judge imposed a two-year suspended prison sentence on Sean Rowan. Martin Conroy received a suspended jail sentence of one year and six months and was ordered to carry out 100 hours of community service.
Brian Conroy was instructed to undertake 100 hours of community service in lieu of eight months in prison.
* Funded under the Courts Reporting Scheme.