A Strabane man received 35 stitches to his face after being struck by a bottle outside Jackson’s hotel in Ballybofey. 
James Finlay Jr had been attending a family wedding at Jackson’s hotel when the assault took place in the early hours of the 26th of September 2010.
Mr Finlay had been drinking with family and friends all day at the wedding and were waiting on a mini bus to take them back home to Strabane when the incident occurred outside the main entrance of Jackson’s Hotel.
Mr Finlay told the court ”I was sitting on the bus beside my partner Danielle when I noticed my brother Dermot was involved in a bit of a handling outside, I jumped out of the bus and walked over to were the altercation was happening, I grabbed Dermot by shoulder and said come on sir lets go home.”
“The next thing I remember there was a flash and I was lying on the ground and blood was streaming down my face, I was taken to Letterkenny General Hospital for treatment then I was moved to Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry for further treatment”
“I had lacerations to my forehead cheek and below my right eye, in total I received 35 stitches”
Before the court is Shane McHugh from Killygordan who is charged with assaulting James Finlay Jnr.
Also giving evidence in today’s trial was the victim’s father Mr James Finlay Sr.
Mr Finlay Sr told the court he was standing outside the hotel when the altercation began.
“I then saw a man in dark clothing run towards me. I heard someone shout “that’s who hit James.” So I managed to grab him and get him in a headlock and then hit him a couple of slaps on the top of the head before he broke free and ran away”
Defending barrister Peter Nolan then quizzed Mr Finlay Sr as to why he didn’t identify the man who had shouted that’s who hit James and use him as a witness in the trial.
Mr Nolan said ”You knew there would have been an investigation after an incident of this magnitude and this man would have been absolutely vital for your case if he had witnessed the assault, but you didn’t and I think it’s because your in make up memory mode and have a vague recollection of the night in the question”
Mr Finlay Sr replied he was too upset by what had happened to his son.
“I was too upset at the injuries sustained by my son and was wanting to find the person who had carried out the attack instead of carrying out an investigation of my own”
Also giving evidence in today’s trial was Dermot Finlay who had been involved in the initial altercation which resulted in his brother James Finlay Jr receiving 35 stitches to the face.
“I was in the foyer of Jackson’s hotel playing the piano and singing, when two girls began shouting “F**k up you big eared B**tard” I told them to shut up and said this is a family wedding and you have no right to be in here”
“We ended up outside and I was still arguing with the two girls, I pushed one of the girls to the ground in self defense, at this point a male in a grey hat swung at me, then there were two other males looking to have a go at me, then my brother James grabbed me on the shoulder and said come on let’s go home,
“The next thing I remember is seeing a male in a black jacket running towards my brother and I seen him strike him with an object which looked like a bottle”
The trial continues at Letterkenny Circuit Court today.