A Donegal businessman pushed an elderly man and broke his rib during a row over a disabled parking space.
Augustine O’Driscoll (pictured right) parked his pick-up jeep illegally in Letterkenny after rushing across the road to get his wife her favourite cake from a bakery.
But when he came back just three minutes later he was met by a man who was annoyed that he had done so.
A heated row took place between the two men and O’Driscoll ended up pushing the man who fell against a fence.
Businessman O’Driscoll appeared at Letterkenny District Court today where he was charged with assault causing harm and engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour.
O’Driscoll, of Ballykeerin, Kilmacrennan pleaded guilty to all the charges through his solicitor Cathal Quinn.
Mr Quinn said his client was a specialist diver who was often called upon by the Irish Navy and in search and rescue missions where he dived to depths of up to 100 metres.
His solicitor said he had never come before the courts before for any matter and was deeply ashamed and embarrassed by what had happened.
He has his own business for the past 15 years and was even considered a hero locally after an incident in 2003 in which he carried a woman from a burning building after an explosion.
Solicitor Quinn said there had been some provocation by the injured man, Frankie Doherty, who it was claimed spat at O’Driscoll during the altercation on May 4th last on Main Street, Letterkenny.
“My client was asked to pick up a particular pastry that his wife is partial to. The bakery is just across the road but when he got there, there was an elderly lady in front of him.
“Not withstanding that, he was back at his vehicle in three minutes where he was met by this man. The episode lasted only a matter of seconds. He didn’t hit him but pushed him in the chest and unfortunately Mr Doherty fell back and hurt himself,” he said.
Judge Paul Kelly said he got particularly annoyed by people taking up disabled parking spaces when they had no right to.
“Disabled people have enough difficulties visited upon them without having to cope with people parking in their spaces,” he said.
He said there were hundreds of parking spaces around Letterkenny which O’Driscoll could have parked in and that Mr Doherty was quite within his right to remonstrate with him.
He did accept that O’Driscoll had never been in trouble before and had many good attributes.
He ordered the accused to pay Mr Doherty €1,000 and adjourned the case until May 7th.
AT HEARING.