Ex-Cavan GAA player assaulted journalist after request not to cover court case refused

A former Cavan GAA player has been convicted of a “sneaky” assault on a veteran journalist in the Four Courts, which a judge described as a “disturbing” attack on press freedom.

Dublin District Court heard Eddie Óg O’Reilly (43) “badgered” Ray Managh not to publicise his fight against a bank repossession but then “lost it” and “viciously” attacked the reporter before taking his notebook.

Judge John Hughes found O’Reilly guilty over the May 11th, 2018 incident. He characterised as “delusional” the former footballer’s evidence that he was terrified for his life of Mr Managh and news photographers pursuing him through the streets of Dublin.

He held that Mr Managh gave a truthful account of the incident and praised him for his magnanimous attitude toward the accused after the verdict.

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Compensation

O’Reilly, a self-employed builder with an address at Kilcogy, Mullahoran, Co Cavan, was given a nine-month jail sentence, which was suspended for two years. Judge Hughes ordered him to pay €3,000 in compensation and a €2,000 fine and to complete an anger management course while on supervised probation.

Mr Managh asked for the compensation to be paid to the Crumlin Children’s Hospital cancer research unit instead.

O’Reilly had denied a charge of assault causing harm to Mr Managh. The court heard that after the journalist refused a request not to publicise the accused’s repossession case, O’Reilly shouldered the then 75-year-old into a lift and pinned him against a wall until he could get his notebook.

Mr Managh told Judge Hughes he has worked as a journalist for 63 years and covered courts in Dublin for a number of national news organisations.

In his victim impact statement, he said the incident left him in shock and pain and worried about other defendants around the courts. Mr Managh said that during a decade covering the Northern Ireland Troubles he had never been threatened, assaulted or had his property stolen. He did not think O’Reilly set out that day to assault him but “simply lost it” at the time.

Press freedom

Judge Hughes described the attack as “disturbing” and “sneaky” and said the location where the incident happened and O’Reilly’s sports background were aggravating factors.

He said the court was cognisant that this was an attack on a journalist doing his job and noted the importance of the freedom of the press. “The reporting of civil and criminal cases goes back hundreds of years and is a valuable function in society and needs to be protected,” Judge Hughes said.

Noting the accused’s circumstances, previous good character and that he had a family to support, the judge suspended the sentence. However, he warned him not to contact the journalist again or breach any of the conditions, or the prison sentence would be activated.