I saw he had my heavy duty yard brush in his hands. “Without warning or reason, he lifted the yard brush in both hands above his head and struck me twice with it with force. The plea was a relief to Mr Shorten and his family as they were spared giving evidence in a trial, Det Garda Heffernan said. Det Garda Heffernan said O’Neill was on bail for a similar offence at the time and had 20 previous convictions. The fact he had broken a lock and armed himself with a yard brush suggested determination and deliberation, the judge said.

Source: The Irish Times May 09, 2018 18:56 UTC