A 21-year-old GAA football player was yesterday found not guilty of assault causing harm to a player from a neighbouring club during a challenge match on Valentia Island, Co Kerry, last year.
The match was abandoned about 15 minutes into the second half.
The jury took just 12 minutes to return its verdict on the second day of the trial at the Circuit Criminal Court in Tralee of John O'Connor, an apprentice carpenter from Renard View, Knightstown, Valentia, and member of the Valentia Young Irelanders team.
Mr O'Connor had pleaded not guilty to the charge of assault causing harm to Skellig Rangers player Stephen O'Sullivan (27), a carpenter, from Rathkieran, The Glen, Ballinskelligs. Mr O'Sullivan received a fracture to the jaw and four dislocated teeth from the single punch thrown by Mr O'Connor on the evening of August 21st, 2006, at the GAA grounds in Chapeltown, Valentia.
He later underwent a three-hour operation and had plates inserted in his jaw in St James's Hospital in Dublin. He could not eat solid food for two months, the opening day of the trial heard.
Mr O'Connor at no stage denied he had struck Stephen O'Sullivan but said he had thrown "one punch and one punch only" and this was "in pure self defence", defence counsel John O'Sullivan said yesterday.
His counsel said Mr O'Connor, had played football since the age of 10 and had never been in trouble with the law.
He said it was in the character of the complainant to have swung at Mr O'Connor. Three of the four witnesses called to give evidence for the prosecution were related to Mr O'Sullivan and could not be regarded as independent.
In direct evidence yesterday, the accused man John O'Connor said he had tried to calm Mr O'Sullivan after a tackle on Mr O'Sullivan by a Valentia player and had restrained him.
In turn, when he released Mr O'Sullivan, he was restrained by a Skellig Rangers player and while his hands were held behind his back, Mr O'Sullivan "punched me straight in the face", Mr O'Connor claimed.
This was denied by Mr O'Sullivan. "I was pumping blood. My head was pounding. I got up and I hit him back because I was scared he might hit me again," Mr O'Connor said.
Mr O'Connor also told the court he had to change employers to finish his apprenticeship as a carpenter. His employer made stairs for the O'Sullivans, who were builders. After the incident "no Valentia island man" was allowed on to O'Sullivan sites.
The court also heard on the opening day that the referee made no statement to gardaí.