Former Republic of Ireland and Nottingham Forest soccer player, Miah Dennehy (58) has been left with such a severe brain injury after an assault that he can no longer live an independent existence, a court was told today.
The family of Mr Dennehy, who became the first player to score a hat-trick in an FAI Cup Final when Cork Hibernians beat Waterford in 1972, yesterday told how Mr Dennehy’s life had changed dramatically following the assault by David Naughton on August 17th 2007.
Naughton from Avonmore Park, Mayfield was convicted at Cork Circuit Criminal Court yesterday by a jury who took just 17 minutes to find him guilty of assault causing serious harm to Mr Dennehy outside the Fob & Gill pub in Mayfield in Cork city.
During the trial, the jury heard that Mr Dennehy became involved in an argument with Naughton in the Fob & Gill pub about another incident and when he left the pub, Naughton followed him out and punched him twice in the face.
Eye witness Shane O’Leary told how he saw Naughton hit Mr Dennehy who fell and hit his head on the ground and that Naughton went back into the pub and when he came back out later, he acted as if he didn’t know what had happened.
The Dennehy family said that they could not forgive Naughton for going back into the pub to finish his drink rather than calling an ambulance and getting assistance which could have resulted in a different outcome for Mr Dennehy.
Judge Sean O Donnabhain noted the victim impact statement but granted an application by Naughton’s counsel, Blaise O’Carroll SC to adjourn sentencing for a week to allow him put his affairs in order and remanded him on bail to appear again on March 6th.
He made it a condition of Naughton’s bail that he sign on daily at Mayfield Garda Station and have not contact with any member of the Dennehy family and that he stay away from all pubs in Cork city while on bail.
