Man jailed for 2002 assault on Brian Rossiter

A Clonmel man has been jailed for two-and-a-half years for assaulting 14-year-old Brian Rossiter in Clonmel in 2002.

A Clonmel man has been jailed for two-and-a-half years for assaulting 14-year-old Brian Rossiter in Clonmel in 2002.

Brian died two days after being found in a coma in a cell in Clonmel Garda station on September 11th, 2002.

Noel Hannigan (26), of Cooleens Close, Cashel Road, Clonmel, pleaded guilty last June to assaulting the boy two days before he died.

The court was told last June that the State was not making any attempt to attribute the death of Brian to the assault inflicted by Hannigan.

READ MORE

The court heard Hannigan, a father of two, committed an unprovoked assault on Brian outside the home of his sister, Sharon Rossiter, at Cashel Street at 12.30am.

The court heard that Brian and a companion were sitting outside the house smoking cigarettes.

The accused, then aged 22, was passing by and took a cigarette from the two boys. Hannigan went to leave the scene but came back after apparently taking some offence. He assaulted Brian Rossiter, pushing him up against a door, headbutting him a number of times and giving him an uppercut to the jaw.

The court heard that Hannigan had gone to Clonmel Garda station on September 11th, 2002, where he made a full and voluntary statement in relation to the assault.

In the statement, he said that he had drunk 12 to 13 pints earlier that night and had later gone to a fast food restaurant.