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TWO WEST CLARE brothers who subjected their aunt, uncle and young cousins to a ‘terrifying home invasion’ ordeal two years ago have walked free from court.
At Ennis Circuit Court, Judge Gerald Keys said that Ronan Carey (25) and Jamie Carey (26) had engaged “in thuggery of the highest order” when invading the home of Fergus Downes on 30 August 2015.
Judge Keys imposed suspended three-year sentences on Ronan Carey and Jamie Carey and a 16-month suspended sentence on Gary O’Gorman (26) for his minor role in the incident.
Judge Keys said that he was prepared to suspend the jail terms because of the relationship between the offenders and the victims, the €5,000 in compensation paid by the offenders, their remorse and “also to avoid possible conflict in the future”.
He said: “I am mindful that the Careys and Downes are related and that, hopefully, this will bring an end to the dispute and that there will be no further trouble between the Downes and Carey families.”
Judge Keys said that he regarded the attack by the Careys on the Downes home in the west Clare village of Kilmihil as “very serious” and the attack occurred only hours after Ronan Carey carried out a mid-day assault on his then 14-year-old cousin, Evan Downes on Church Street in the village.
In a statement to gardaí, Evan Downes said that Ronan Carey got out of his car at 12pm on 29 August and threw him on the ground and started kicking and punching him.
The teen suffered a broken hand in the attack which was witnessed by one-passer who saw Carey head-butt Evan Downes who dropped to the ground and then received three or four kicks.
The boy’s father, Fergus Downes brought his son to University Hospital Limerick where the teen had a cast put on his broken hand.
The two returned to their home at 1.50am only for Downes to see four figures, Ronan Carey, Jamie Carey both of Church Street, Kilmihil and their first cousin, Gary O’Gorman of Treamanagh, Mullagh and a fourth man coming up the hill towards their home.
Downes said: “They are coming up the hill, call the gardaí.”
In the attack three cavity blocks were thrown – two through the windows of the Downes home and another through the window of Jason’s – Evan’s brother – car. During the incident, Ronan and Jamie Carey entered the home.
Jason Downes was protecting the front door where a cavity block came through.
He said: “It hit me straight on the head, [my] head and eye [were] bleeding.”
An ambulance arrived and Jason Downes spent the night at hospital where he required nine stitches across an eyebrow and five stitches in his hand.
In a victim impact statement to court, he said: “I had to be stitched back together. I was badly attacked and assaulted. This incident has left me very afraid to do anything.
I could have been killed if that block hit me in the wrong place.
Jason Downes added: “I don’t know why they did this to us – I know they blame my younger brother for damaging their tractor.”
In the case, Ronan Carey pleaded guilty to assault, burglary and criminal damage while Jamie Carey pleaded guilty to burglary and criminal damage, while O’Gorman pleaded guilty to criminal damage.
Counsel for Ronan Carey, Mark Nicholas SC said: “This was a disgraceful episode and the whole tragedy of this is that they are cousins. Ronan Carey’s dad is a brother of Mrs Downes. They used to get on great and this spoiled their relationship.”
Judge Keys said that O’Gorman was peripheral to what occurred where he admitted to throwing a stone that broke a window of the Downes home.
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it seems hash and weed is all the guards can get STOP wasting time going afterthosedrugs i would think all resorces and time should be spent trying to get as much herion and cocaine of the streets they are the problem drugs people will do crazy things to get there hands on those drugs when they have no cash which is always, com on get your act together enough is enough earn your wage end of
@Danny
I would like to point out that I work with drug addicts every day! Class B (HASH)has longer lasting and probably even worse effects than the various Heroin’s, Crack’s , amphetamine’s that are out there
Long term use makes people so paranoid, and it’s a very different situation then that most perceive Class B the calming relaxing effects that we see on TV
If u think our Law Enforcers are wasting their time Then I suggest u have a good think about this 1, if your child had been smoking this (SHITE is how i would describe it ) for years and their once intelligent curious minds were active now there brains are so fried that you can’t even have a simple conversation with them , then maybe u would think twice !!!!!
Class A,B, &C are all as bad as each other,
Illegal Importers, Dealers of banned illegal substances should not be jailed its too good for them, they should be made work day in day out in homes where these poor folk are detained due to drug induced mental health issues! That would teach them!
I call bullshit Anita, how can you put cannabis in the same category as heroin? Are you for real? I haven’t heard of anyone dying of a cannabis overdose. Also, cannabis doesn’t necessarily make people paranoid, it affects people differently. And you work with these people? God help them.
Lol @ hash addicts
Cannabis is a gateway drug which not always but can often lead to the use of heavier class A drugs. By inhibiting the gateway drug they are still lessening the impact and demand for class A drugs. ‘nipping it in the bud’ as such.
Good work again by Customs and police.
I hope they throw away the key.
Great news.. will hopefully drive up the price for all the stoners.
thats a lot of peoples medicine gone down the drain :(
Ah Jesus, my 3 million spot is gone. My weekend is ruined
The two Irish are a couple who are very well known in the Cork city chattering classes brigade. Your man has a penchant for fast expensive cars. Now everyone knows how he could afford them.
bussted
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