By Anne Lucey
The hearing into what is set to be a full appeal by two sons of Independent Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae and a friend against conviction for assault, has been listed for February 6 — two days before the general election.
Jackie Healy-Rae, aged 24, a county councillor and a member of the county Joint Policing Committee overseeing policing in Kerry, was convicted late last year and given a suspended prison sentence for assaulting a visitor to Kenmare during the 2017 Christmas period.
Jackie Healy-Rae, of Sandymount, Kilgarvan, denied assaulting Kieran James, causing him harm, on December 28, 2017, on Main St, Kenmare, Co Kerry.
The Independent councillor for the Castleisland area, who works as parliamentary assistant to his father, also denied assaulting Mr James at East Park Lane in the town on the same date.
His brother, Kevin Healy-Rae, aged 22, also of Sandymount, Kilgarvan, and their friend Malachy Scannell, aged 34, of Inchinacoosh, Kilgarvan, were also convicted of assaulting Mr James, 30, on the same date. They too had denied the charge.
The incident happened after Kevin Healy-Rae was accused of skipping a long queue at a chip van after a night out, the hearing was told.
In December at Kenmare District Court, Judge David Waters convicted all three and sentenced Jackie Healy-Rae to eight months in jail, Kevin Healy-Rae to seven months, and Mr Scannell to six months. The judge suspended all sentences.
Appeals have now been listed by the Courts Service. The men’s solicitor, Padraig O’Connell, of Killarney, yesterday said he could confirm the matter was ready to proceed on a plea of not guilty to the conviction.
The sentencing was also under appeal, Mr O’Connell said.
The appeals are listed at numbers 90, 91, and 92 for the District Court appeals list of the Circuit Court and are set to come before Circuit Court Judge James O’Donohoe in Killarney on February 6.
