Recovering addict won’t spend time extra in jail for assault on neighbour

Recovering addict won’t spend day extra in jail for assault on neighbour

A father of six serving a three-and-a-half-year jail sentence for robbery won’t serve an extra day in prison despite admitting to brutally attacking his neighbour in his own home, a court has heard.

Recovering alcohol and gambling addict, John Nevin (46) of 82 Ardilaun Heights, Mullingar, Westmeath, was given a 10-month concurrent sentence for the violent assault at 33 Grange Heights, Mullingar, Westmeath on September 18, 2022.

Mr Nevin’s victim has been sitting in the front living room of his house when he heard a knock at his door at around 10.15pm. On opening a window, the court heard, he identified Mr Nevin, who was with another man he was unable to put a name to.

Judge Bernadette Owens was told that Mr Nevin told the man to “get the stuff”, and the victim said he had nothing to do with it.

After asking Mr Nevin to close the window, the man, it was heard, momentarily turned his head, resulting in the accused delivering a punch to his nose and mouth.

Sgt Orla Keenan said the man recalled a number of rings Mr Nevin had on his hand.

The assault victim attended the local Emergency Department four days later, where he was examined and X-rays showed soft tissue damage.

Mr Nevin had previously been charged with carrying out 15 separate diesel drive-off thefts at a number of filling stations in Mullingar, Kilbeggan and Ballymahon, County Longford, between August and November 2024.

Thee accused had already entered guilty pleas and a probation report had been ordered, a ruling that was renewed earlier this year on foot of concessions by defence solicitor Louis Kiernan over his client’s lack of engagement with the process.

Mr Kiernan said his client was facing a “very unfortunate” set of circumstances, in terms of his earlier reluctance to engage and by the three-and-a-half-year sentence he was now serving concerning a €50 robbery which had been issued by the Circuit Criminal Court.

With a release date of July 2028, Mr Kiernan asked the court to structure a sentence that would not add to his current period of incarceration.

He said the basis for that was a positive probation report and accompanying governor’s report that demonstrated Mr Nevin’s new-found rehabilitative approach.

The court was told Mr Nevin was now engaging with addiction services and had immersed himself in a range of courses while in prison including home economics and music, and regular attendances at the gym were noted.

Judge Owens said they were factors the court was moved by as she commended Mr Nevin on the “very positive” report it had been asked to consider as part of the sentencing process.

She said it had been given increased value by the governor’s report that showed Mr Nevin was on an enhanced regime in custody.

She sentenced him to 10 months in prison, ordering it to run concurrently to his existing sentence, in addition to a three-month concurrent sentence for a diesel drive-off at Applegreen, Hanlon’s N55 service station, Mostrim Road, Ballymahon, Longford on August 8, 2024.

Judge Owens, directed that more than a dozen other drive-offs be “taken into consideration”.