Former trainer given suspended sentence for assault using riding whip

A controversial horse racing figure avoided prison on Thursday for an assault on a farmer with a horse whip.

At Gort District Court in Co Galway, Judge Mary Larkin said the assault by former trainer Stephen Mahon on John Hughes warranted a jail sentence on the basis that “you can’t go beating someone over the face with a riding whip”.

Solicitor for Mr Mahon (53), Martina Moran, said her client has no prior convictions for assault and Judge Larkin said that in the circumstances she would impose a suspended six month prison term.

Judge Larkin told Ms Moran “I think your client should do an anger management course and whatever else the Probation Services direct” as she suspended the prison term for 24 months.

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Ms Moran told Judge Larkin there has been no contact between Mr Mahon and the victim since the incident on October 13th, 2020 at Newtown, Kilcolgan, Co Galway.

The court was told previously that there was “bad blood’ between Mr Mahon and Mr Hughes arising from a 2014 incident involving the two.

In June of last year, Mr Mahon formerly of The Ranch, Kilcolgan, County Galway but now living in Co Meath was given a four year ban from training horses, the longest ever handed out in Ireland for breach of animal welfare rules.

The Irish Horseracing Regulatory Board (IHRB) ban imposed was reduced by six months on appeal in September of last year.

In evidence at the contested assault hearing last month at Gort District Court, Mr Hughes told the court that on October 13th, 2020 on his way back from herding cattle, Mr Mahon passed him on a horse on a boreen.

Mr Hughes said: “Mr Mahon went on six or seven yards and said ‘what the f**k are you laughing at?’. He got down off his horse and asked ‘what are you smiling at?’

“He then let fly and hit me with the whip on the left hand side of the face just under my eye.”

Mr Hughes stated that Mr Mahon “then swung a second time. I put my hand up to protect myself and he got me on the knuckle and the left hand side of the face.

Mr Hughes said that “there was a bit of a struggle” after that and Mr Mahon kicked out at him twice.

Mr Hughes said that he has been left with a scar from a whip blow and pointed out the scar on his face to Judge Larkin.

Mr Mahon denied he assaulted Mr Hughes and in evidence alleged that Mr Hughes had thrown two rocks at him.

In finding Mr Mahon guilty of the two offences, Judge Larkin said that it is not a case of one man’s word against another.

Judge Larkin said: “There is also the evidence of the injuries to Mr Hughes. They were viewed by Garda Phil O’ Donoghue on the day and they are consistent with Mr Hughes’s evidence.

Judge Larkin said: “I am satisfied that the incident did take place as described by Mr Hughes. I found him to be a credible witness and I found Mr Mahon to be vague and possibly inventive in relation to what he said about the incident.”

Mr Mahon has 14 previous convictions but none relate to assault or public order. Six relate to the Control of Dogs Act with the remainder relating to road traffic matters.