Two Scots footballers who battered man on a night out in Dublin handed suspended jail terms

Two Scots footballers who carried out a “shameful attack” during a night out in Dublin have walked free from court after being handed suspended prison sentences.

Montrose stars Liam Callaghan and Craig Johnston chased a ‘blameless’ 52-year-old man through the city streets, swung a traffic cone at him, punched him and clobbered him with a box.

Police clocked the two 27-year-olds from Fife carrying out the assault and grabbed them as they tried to leg it.

The semi-pros with the League One side had earlier pled guilty to assault causing harm and obstruction in Dublin City Centre on December 8, 2019.

Imposing sentence today at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Orla Crowe said the injured man had been “attacked by two men who had no reason to come down a road after him”.

The court was previously told there had been an altercation between the victim and a colleague of the two accused men at a Xico bar on Baggot Street.

Judge Crowe noted there had been no prior interaction between the then 52-year-old victim and the two accused, and what had happened at the late bar had “nothing to do” with Callaghan and Johnston.

Judge Crowe said this was a “shameful attack carried out by two people visiting this country” and the men had “involved themselves in a matter that was at an end”.

She said the assault had serious consequences for the victim, which was an aggravating factor in this case.

Defence counsel told the beak that the pair had brought €6,000 to court as a token of remorse, which the victim was willing to accept.

Judge Crowe said she took into consideration as mitigation the fact that both men have no previous convictions for violence, are working and are talented footballers.

She noted that both men are very remorseful and have travelled from Scotland to attend all court dates.

She said Callaghan was the “more dominant” of the two men during the attack, having thrown the first punch, but Johnston joined in.

She imposed a two-year prison sentence on both men. 

Judge Crowe said in the circumstances, she would suspend the sentence in full on condition that both men keep the peace for two years.

She also directed that the gesture of remorse from both men was to be handed over to the victim.

Callaghan took the stand and apologised directly to the victim on his and Johnston’s behalf for what happened. 

Character references from the defendants’ employers and Montrose FC were handed to the court.

Both defendants have recently signed contract extensions with the Scottish club. 

They had also lost a close friend in tragic circumstances in the months before this incident, although no details of that were revealed.

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