Man punched injured party in the face at petrol station
Carlow courthouse Pic: Michael O'Rourke.
WHAT began with an alleged rude gesture from a motorist in a passing van ended with a young man suffering a lasting jaw injury after a violent confrontation inside a Carlow service station.
Johnathan Timmons of Clonmore, Hacketstown, Co Carlow pleaded guilty to assault arising from an incident at O’Reilly’s service station in Hacketstown on 21 May 2024.
Carlow District Court heard that the 33-year-old was driving past a group of youths in a van when he allegedly stuck his middle finger up at them. He subsequently drove into the service station, where the injured party followed and confronted him, asking why he had given him the finger “when doesn’t even know him”.
Evidence was given that Mr Timmons made threats to the injured party before going to the till to pay. When the injured party approached him a second time to ask again about the gesture, Mr Timmons struck him “with a closed fist box to the left hand side of the face”.
The court heard the injured party then threw a wet floor sign at the defendant, who chased him back into the shop and pushed him against a shelf that fell on top of the injured party. Mr Timmons then delivered “a number of closed fist punches” to the injured party before leaving the shop and being pulled away by a third party.
The injured party attended hospital where it was found his jaw had been “knocked out of place”, which “left it clicking and popping”. While there was no report to say it was broken, the court heard “it is a lasting injury”.
Defence solicitor Joe Farrell told Judge Geraldine Carthy that while his client had entered a guilty plea for as sault, “he denies that he stuck his finger up at the chap”. He said CCTV footage showed the injured party approaching Mr Timmons first, adding: “This chap may not be au fait with social nuances; he would have addressed this in a way other people might not have. My client wasn’t aware of this.”
Mr Farrell said Mr Timmons brought €1,000 to court by way of compensation and “had a good work history and is hard working”, adding that he was “very contrite”.
“If he had his time back he wouldn’t have done it,” said Mr Farrell. The court heard Mr Timmons has seven previous convictions, none for assault.
A victim impact statement was handed into court at the outset, prompting Judge Carthy to note that the matter “won’t be finalised today” owing to the time needed to review the statement. Judge Carthy directed that a probation report be prepared and adjourned the case to February 2026.
