Attacked businessman Kevin Lunney has revealed that he takes “no pleasure” in boxer Bernard McGovern receiving a criminal conviction.
In an exclusive statement to The Star, a spokesperson for Mr Lunney and his colleague Dara O’Reilly, said they were grateful to gardai and the PSNI for bringing the matter to its conclusion after McGovern was jailed over the brutal assault on them last week.
But the spokesperson said that neither of the men, who were brutally assaulted by the boxer at Rakeelan filling station near Ballyconnell in Cavan in 2019, took pleasure from his conviction
A spokesman thanked the "Gardai and PSNI for their effort and diligence in bringing this matter to a conclusion", but noted the men "take no pleasure in any young person receiving a criminal conviction."
Fermanagh native McGovern, 24, was jailed for three years and three months last week - after pleading guilty to an assault that broke businessman Kevin Lunney’s nose and left him with potentially lasting damage to one eye.
He also pleaded to a lesser charge of assaulting Dara O'Reilly, chief financial officer at the same enterprise, businesses once founded by ex-tycoon Sean Quinn Sr.
McGovern was sentenced to three years and three months for assaulting Mr Lunney, and five months to be served concurrently for the attack on Mr O'Reilly.
McGovern, with an address at Springtown Road, Kinawley, first threw a cup of scalding tea in Mr O'Reilly's face before hitting Mr Lunney up to seven or eight times, knocking him to the floor, Cavan Circuit Court was told.
The court heard that the attack occurred the day after McGovern’s father Séan had his employment as a truck driver with Quinn Industrial Holdings, rebranded as Mannok, terminated.
McGovern, 22 years old at the time, was sitting in the filling station café a short distance from the two businessmen after they first arrived shortly around 1:15pm.
McGovern got up, asked for a fresh pot of boiling water, then poured himself a cup before the Ulster title-winning amateur boxer launched his attack during the height of the lunchtime rush-hour.
Despite the best efforts of others present to restrain McGovern, the defendant was able to flee the scene.
Karl Monaghan BL, instructed by John M. Quinn solicitors in Dublin, acting for the defence, stated that his client was remorseful for his actions.
A “gesture” of €1,000 was offered to Mr Lunney by way of compensation, which the businessman said could be donated to charity if the court so directed.
Judge John Aylmer described the attacks as being at the "upper end" of the scale of such offending.
He also described the attack as "callous" and "premeditated".
The judge was asked by McGovern's counsel if consideration could be given to suspending a portion of the sentence handed down, but he replied given all the factors of the case, that such leniency would not be appropriate.
