A hurling club selector who assaulted a player with a hurley during a match will do 200 hours community service instead of serving a four-month prison sentence following an appeal hearing at Galway Circuit Criminal Appeals Court yesterday.
John Burke (38), Coolarne, Turloughmore, Co Galway, had been sentenced to four months in prison at Athenry District Court in March for assaulting Mr Christy Burke (no relation), a player on the opposing Annaghdown team.
The incident happened during a Galway City League final between neighbouring clubs Turloughmore and Annaghdown, which was played in Turloughmore on February 15th last year.
The player sustained a gash to the top of his head, which necessitated nine stitches in hospital, after Burke knocked his protective helmet off by repeatedly hitting him with a hurley during a sideline fracas.
The accused appealed the sentence to the Circuit Court last month where Judge Harvey Kenny criticised the GAA for its lack of disciplining players and officials who bring the game into disrepute.
He ordered the chairmen of Galway County Board and Turloughmore Hurling Club to come before him and explain what steps were being taken to curb the increasing level of violence on the playing field.
Galway County Board chairman, Mr Frank Burke, assured Judge Kenny there was no hiding place within the ranks of the organisation for people involved in such incidents.
He said that they would be dealt with under a code of discipline set down by a new administrative committee set up in April 2002 and chaired by him, once the court proceedings were finalised.