A MARKETING executive who attacked a judge at an awards ceremony at the Mansion House in Dublin has been given the benefit of the Probation Act after paying €20,000 to charity.
Gary Brown (51), of Howth Road, Clontarf, Dublin, had been found guilty of assault causing harm to John O’Connor on May 7th, 2009, at the An Post Direct Marketing Awards Night in the Mansion House.
He had denied the charge and after being found guilty at Dublin District Court was told by Judge Ann Watkin last month that he would be spared a criminal record if he donated €20,000 to the St Vincent de Paul charity.
Yesterday, Brendan Grehan SC, defending, told Judge Watkin that a cheque was sent to the charity and Mr Brown was in court to confirm that the money had left his account.
Noting that it has been paid Judge Watkin applied the Probation Offenders’ Act, which is not a recorded conviction and means he has not got a criminal record as a result of the incident.
The row developed after Mr Brown’s company RMG Target had won the top prize at the event for the fourth consecutive year. In his victory speech he had said: “it’s great to see new faces coming in” which were “making great videos that make us laugh every year.” Afterwards Mr O’Connor and another judge, Justin Cullen asked to speak with Mr Brown. They went to a corridor and Mr O’Connor and Mr Cullen criticised the speech but was told by Mr Brown to “f**k off.”
The court had heard that Mr O’Connor called Brown a knacker and he was then punched in the face by the accused.