Siblings found guilty of assault after aunt ‘bashed’ by barrage of eggs

A brother and sister threw up to 32 eggs at their aunt during an assault in Co Galway two years ago, Gort District Court has heard.

Mary Fahy said her face was “bashed” by eggs thrown by Cathal Connors (25) and Michelle Connors (20), both of Fannaun, Peterswell, as she passed their home in her car on October 17th, 2019.

As she approached, Mrs Fahy, whose car window was largely open, said she saw her niece and nephew “running out from the front door — they obviously had it set up”.

“It was bang, bang, bang, bang. I thought they were stones and they continued for five minutes or thereabouts and banging eggs off my face,” she said, adding that the two accused threw “a dozen and a score of eggs” at her.

Cathal and Michelle Connors denied assaulting Mrs Fahy and causing criminal damage to her Ford Kuga, but Judge Mary Larkin found them guilty on all counts. The judge said the two “deliberately assaulted this woman” with eggs and that there was a history of family discord and unpleasantness linked to land.

Mrs Fahy said she still has a mark on her face from the incident but that it was not visible in court as she was wearing make-up.She agreed with John Nash, solicitor for the two accused, that there had been difficulties between her brother, Patrick Connors, and a sister concerning farm land.

She said she saw Patrick Connors in a vehicle outside his house before the assault and saw Cathal run to the SUV, which then drove away, after the barrage of eggs stopped .

“The family wasn’t getting on with me over my sister, but I didn’t expect them to do something to me,” she said.

Cleaning bill

As a result of the assault, Mrs Fahy said her blood pressure “was through the roof and I had to get three days off work”. The cleaning bill for the egg damage to the car was €120, she added.

Sgt John Cunningham told the court that when he arrived at the scene Mrs Fahy “was in a very distressed state”.

“The inside of her car was covered in eggs. There were eggs on Mary Fahy’s face and eggs had got into the back seat of her car,” he said.

He said he spoke to Michelle Connors who denied having any role in the incident and said she did not go to help as she had “never spoken to the woman”.

Cathal Connors denied being at home at the time and having any role in the incident. The two accused both said they had seen “young lads on bikes” in the area that day who may have been responsible.

Judge Larkin dismissed this notion as “inconceivable” and adjourned sentencing to May.