Man lured to ‘sinister’ attack after partner ended affair with co-worker

A man who lured the partner of a woman with whom he had an affair to his home and then attacked him with a hammer has been jailed for three years at Trim Circuit Court.

John Wall (46), of Jealoustown Lane, Dunshaughlin, Co Meath, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm on February 14th, 2017. The court heard the victim, who was an out of work carpenter, neither knew the defendant nor anything of the affair.

Sgt J.P. Coggins told prosecutor Carl Hanahoe BL that Wall had engaged in an affair for five months with a co-worker, the victim’s partner, before she ended the relationship around a month before the assault.

The court heard that Wall refused to accept this and continued to text the woman. Sgt Coggins said Wall heard that the man was anxious to secure carpentry work and, using the alias ‘Paul’, he contacted him with a fictitious job offer.

The court heard the victim bought a measuring tape in the expectation of getting work and was collected from his home by Wall, who pretended to be a construction worker named ‘Martin’. The victim noted that he sounded remarkably similar to the man who contacted him.

Blow to forehead

While the victim was on his knees marking out a floor in Wall’s home, the accused left and returned with a lump hammer. Wall ran at the man and knocked him out with a blow to the right of his forehead, Sgt Coggins said.

Having regained consciousness, the injured man asked Wall what had happened. He was told he had fallen but Wall then said that he “didn’t know” with a grin on his face, the court heard.

After Wall drove him home, the man told his partner about the car and what had happened. She figured who was responsible and admitted to the affair. She told gardaí that Wall had informed her he would not be in work the next day.

Gardaí arrested Wall and found the victim’s tape measure and a mobile phone with a SIM card Wall had bought in Navan under an assumed name. The phone contained the contacts between him and the victim and forensic examinations revealed blood spatters on Wall’s clothes and in his home.

Wife away

Sgt Coggins said that Wall had confirmed before the attack that his then wife would not be at home at the time.

The victim told the court his life had been turned upside down by the assault, his long-term relationship had ended and his mental health had deteriorated. “I was buying tablets on the street to help me forget,” he added.

A defence barrister said Wall had an apology in writing for his victim and €8,000 as a token of his remorse.

Judge Martina Baxter described the assault as “premeditated, planned and sinister” and noted that Wall had duped his victim, his then wife and the woman he had an affair with. She sentenced Wall to 3½ years with the final six months suspended on conditions.