Man punched former partner while son sat on hospital bed

A man twice attacked his former partner while she attended a children’s hospital with their son, a court has heard.

Christopher Gannon (35) of Ballyfermot Drive, Ballyfermot, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm at Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin, on October 6th, 2018.

Garda Sgt Graham Weeks told Caroline Cummings BL, prosecuting, that on the date in question the accused's former partner attended the hospital with their son, who required treatment.

Gannon arrived with his brother in an “irate state”, burst into the room and started punching the woman in her head numerous times while their son sat on a hospital bed. The accused was restrained by hospital staff members and the victim was brought to a nurse’s station.

He then escaped the grasp of the doctor and security guard who had restrained him, ran to where the victim was and started punching her again. The woman suffered a fractured nose and had double vision in one of her eyes for a period of time after the assault.

In interview with gardaí,­ Gannon said he lost his head when he saw his former partner of eight and a half years. He said he had received information that his son had been hurt and he attributed his loss of control to this fact.

Gannon has three previous convictions, including convictions for assault and public intoxication. He has five children.

Sgt Weeks agreed with Sarah-Jane O’Callaghan BL, defending, that her client had offered a “genuine” apology. He agreed Gannon was not on the Garda radar before or after the assault.

Ms O’Callaghan said it was a “very, very sad case” with a very “sensitive background” that she did not want to go into in open court to protect her client’s son.

Judge Patricia Ryan ordered a probation report and adjourned the matter for sentencing on October 18th, next.