A 29-year-old actor from Co Wicklow has been sentenced to four years in prison for an assault on a man who subsequently developed a blood clot in his brain and died.
Darren Healy, of The Cottage in Killegar in Enniskerry pleaded guilty to assaulting Philip Bryan at Eamon Doran's Pub in Temple Bar on 10 June 2005.
Following an application by his defence team today, Darren Healy will begin his sentence in January.
Judge Patricia Ryan heard that doctors had not been able to establish if the blood clot had been caused by Healy's assault on Mr Bryan or by his subsequent fall to the ground when he hit his head on a step.
Judge Ryan extended her sympathies to the Bryan family on their loss.
She imposed a four year sentence on Healy and suspended the final year on conditions. The maximum sentence for this offence is five years.
Judge Ryan consented to an application by defence counsel to postpone the commencement of the sentence until 20 January 2009.
She ordered Healy to present himself at Pearse Street Garda Station on that day to be taken into custody.
Judge Ryan noted that Healy had taken steps to rehabilitate his 'chaotic lifestyle' and had paid over €5,000 compensation as a 'practical expression of his remorse'.
Pub fight
Detective Garda Paul Murphy told the court that Healy was standing on stools in Eamon Dorans shaking and squirting bottles of alcopop over a crowd of friends when Mr Bryan went over and appeared to try to calm him down in an amicable exchange.
A witness described turning away from the men and then hearing a smack before she turned back around and saw Healy punch Mr Bryan twice in the face.
Mr Bryan then fell to the ground hitting his head.
He was taken to hospital for treatment but discharged himself and returned home.
However Mr Bryan was rushed back to hospital the following day and treated for a blood clot on his brain after his mother found him unconscious.
Det Garda Murphy said Healy contacted gardaí at Pearse Street Station and voluntarily made a statement.
He had eight previous convictions for public order offences.
Healy told gardaí that Mr Bryan had approached him looking for a fight while he was having 'craic' with friends. He said he left the pub after they exchanged blows and that he was glad Mr Bryan had recovered.
Mr Condon said if Mr Bryan had not hit his head this could have been 'a standard punch up'.
He said his client had never intended to cause such serious injuries and noted that when he discovered the extent of the harm caused he immediately contacted gardaí.
Mr Condon said Healy was an actor who had a history of substance abuse but who had been clean for over a year.
He was currently working in England and has secured work into the future in an unstable profession.
Healy has appeared in such TV series as The Clinic, Love is the Drug and Proof, and On Home Ground as well as bit parts in films such as Layer Cake, Dead Bodies, The General, and Bloody Sunday.
