Teen jailed for assaulting pregnant woman in city

Judge Gerard O’Brien imposed a three-year sentence on the accused at Cork Circuit Criminal Court and suspended the last year of that sentence.

Shane Purcell, aged 19, of 7 Seminary Court, Blackpool, admitted assault causing harm to the pregnant woman and on a separate occasion assaulting a man with a crutch.

“This case is extremely alarming, it is an alarming escalation of his behaviour, an assault on a pregnant woman minding her own business. He punched her in the face.”

Detective Garda Ian Coughlan said the injured party was walking home from work in Cork city centre. She was on Princes Street, after 7pm on Sunday, November 29, 2015, when three youths approached her.

“In a completely unprovoked assault. She was attacked and knocked to the ground. She was six months pregnant at the time,” Det. Garda Coughlan said.

Witnesses followed the three youths through a number of streets and gardaí were called. The youths were ultimately identified on CCTV.

The injured party suffered bruising to her left thigh in the attack.

Det. Garda Coughlan said officers called to the defendant’s home and in the course of a search they found clothing matching that which he had worn on the night and that had been clearly seen on the CCTV.

Niamh Stewart, defence barrister, said the defendant was remorseful and wanted to convey his apologies to the pregnant woman.

Det. Garda Coughlan said that this indication of remorse by the barrister was the first time the accused had apologised for his actions.

Sergeant Kieran O’Sullivan said the same culprit struck a 58-year-old man with a crutch. He also punched him.

This occurred when the injured party heard a ruckus outside his house at Farran Street and he went out to tell them to quieten down.

Judge O’Brien imposed a three-year sentence in respect of each assault, both sentences to run concurrently with the last year suspended.