A GAA mentor has been caged for six months after he punched a referee following a junior football match in Wexford last year.
Glen McManus, 34, of Cluain Dara in Clonard, was on the sideline for a game between his club St Joseph’s, and Our Lady’s Island in Whiterock Hill in September when the assault took place.
The brute, who also attacked an umpire, was slapped with an 18-month sentence for punching referee Michael Lanigan but Judge James McCourt suspended the last 12 months.
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McManus, who has no previous convictions, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm at Wexford Circuit Court earlier today, and his assault on the umpire was also taken into consideration.
In addition to receiving jail time, he was also ordered to pay out €3,000 in compensation which was split €2,500 for the referee and €500 for the umpire.
It is understood that McManus has not launched an appeal at this stage and has already spent his first night in prison.
During an earlier appearance, a Garda Sergeant outlined what happened following the match.
The Sergeant then told the court that a "referee was assaulted at a football match" and that it was a section three assault causing harm offence.
He told the court that the injured party received a punch to the back of the head and had presented with neck injuries in the hospital.
The court was told that the referee - Mr Lanigan, blew the whistle at the end of the match when he was "struck from behind" and "fell to the ground and landed on the grass."
An ambulance was at the scene but Mr Lanigan indicated he would make his own way to the hospital.
Mr Lanigan was then a "couple of weeks out of work" as a result of the assault, the court heard.
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