Father lost control when headbutting GAA coach at U10s training session

A father lost control when headbutting a GAA coach in front of young children playing hurling at an under-10s training session in east Clare in May of last year, a court has heard.

At Killaloe District Court sitting in Ennis, Maurice Crotty (43) has pleaded guilty to the assault of juvenile hurling coach, Aidan Fleming at Smith O’Brien’s GAA club, Abbey Street, Killaloe on May 29th last contrary to Section 2 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997.

Judge Alec Gabbett told the court: "This man has pleaded guilty to headbutting a coach on a pitch in front of children at an u-10 training session. It is extremely serious.”

Solicitor, Tara Godfrey for Mr Crotty of Millstream, Killaloe, told the court that on the day “unfortunately emotions ran high”.

She said: “Mr Crotty did make admissions and he did plead guilty and he has accepted that his behaviour was intolerable but there was a context to this and there was a long, slow build to this and unfortunately Mr Crotty did lose control.”

Judge Gabbett initially questioned why Mr Crotty was before the court on a minor assault summons rather than a more serious assault causing harm charge.

However, after reviewing a medical report handed into court, Judge Gabbett said that Mr Fleming’s “minor bruising" from the headbutt assault “was all resolved”.

Judge Gabbett said: “It is a minor offence in the district court. It is being prosecuted under a summons which says a lot and there is a good Probation Report.”

Judge Gabbett said that what happened “was out of the norm for Mr Crotty and he saw red but there are consequences from that”.

Judge Gabbett said that the Probation Report in the case found at interview, Mr Crotty did acknowledge that he acted inappropriately and