An All Ireland-winning footballer broke the jaw of another player in two places during a challenge match, the Dublin District Court heard today.
Mr James McCartan, from Co Down, is charged with assaulting Mr Kenneth Larkin, of Newcastle Athlone, Co Westmeath, on May 25th last year at a match between their two counties in Kildare.
Mr Larkin told the court he was playing at full-back and Mr McCartan at full-forward when the incident occurred. "James gave me a tug on the jersey in order to get out in front. I gave him a tug back. We both held onto each other's jerseys as we were still moving up the field to try to get the ball," he said.
The Westmeath corner-back intercepted the ball and cleared it up the field. Mr Larkin said he and McCartan were standing on the 21-yard line while play went on up the field.
"James just turned, looked over his left shoulder and took a step towards me. He struck me with a clenched fist to the bottom of the chin. I immediately hit the ground," he said.
The then Westmeath football manager, Mr Luke Dempsey, ran out onto the field and confronted Mr McCartan.
Mr Larkin told the court he heard Dempsey say: "What do you think you're doing? He's only a young fellow."
Mr McCartan replied: "If he's not man enough, he shouldn't be out here."
Mr Larkin said he was in awful pain and blood was pouring from his jaw. "I knew straight away after I got punched that my jaw was broken. I could feel the bone shattering," he said.
Mr Larkin was brought to Naas General Hospital in Kildare where he was X-rayed and sent to St James's Hospital in Dublin the following day for an appointment with a maxillofacial surgeon.
Mr Larkin, who was a student training at the Garda College in Templemore, Co Tipperary at the time, had three plates inserted into his jaw. "I was sucking through a straw for four weeks," said Mr Larkin.
He made a formal complaint about the incident to gardai in Athlone on June 28th, 2003.
Mr Larkin was unable to play in Westmeath's championship match against Meath which took place shortly after the incident. However, he told senior counsel for Mr McCartan, Mr Michael O'Higgins that his primary concern was the future of his training in Templemore.
Mr O'Higgins said his client had not seen how the injury occurred and had believed Mr Larkin was feigning injury when he fell to the ground.
Mr Larkin said: "It's obvious I wasn't feigning injury. There was blood pouring from my jaw."
Mr O'Higgins said during the game McCartan was being held back by Larkin by any means possible and that he was doing everything he could to break free of Larkin's clutches.
He added that the account of the Down physio on the day, Mr Gerard Nolan, would show that the ball was being played in towards the two players and not further up the pitch as Mr Larkin had claimed.
"I'm suggesting you are being devious and deceitful by trying to marry and fudge the two accounts together."
However Mr Larkin said he had not changed a word of his statement.
At the suggestion of Mr Vincent Deane, a state solicitor for the Director of Public Prosecutions Mr Larkin re-enacted the incident for the court with the assistance of a garda.
He assumed the role of Mr McCartan, stood slightly in front of the garda and then imitated a punch with his right hand.
Mr O'Higgins asked both Mr McCartan and Mr Larkin to stand up in court to show their respective heights. Larkin said he accepted he was the taller of the two.
The case continues.