Father and son escape prison term

Father and son escape prison term

23 December 2015

A FATHER and son from Killyleagh have been given suspended prison sentences for assaulting two men.

Forty one year-old Mark Carberry, of Frederick Street, and his 23 year-old son Gary Colin Carberry, of Churchill Park, Killinchy, carried out the assaults at a flat in the town on October 25.

At Downpatrick Court on Monday, they admitted they hit the men after a misunderstanding.

A defence lawyer explained the two defendants had suffered a bereavement just weeks previously and had felt the two injured parties were being disrespectful about their loss.

The court heard the men were threatened and warned not to go to the police about the assault although one of the injured parties, who was a youth at the time of the assault, did report the incident two days later.

District Judge Greg McCourt said the incident was a nasty and needless attack on two young people.

“Although you had been bereaved in the weeks beforehand, the reaction you had to a situation that was misinterpreted was totally uncalled for,” he said.

Mr McCourt pointed out that Mark Carberry, who has 74 previous convictions, had a nine month suspended prison sentence hanging over his head that should be implemented due to Monday’s conviction.

“You seem to be a person who thinks you can bully and attack people,” he said.

However, he agreed not to impose immediate custody due to the poor health of the defendant who suffered a heart attack at a recent court appearance.

Instead, Mr McCourt ordered Carberry senior to pay compensation of £400, while Gary Carberry was ordered to pay compensation of £300.

Both men also received five month prison sentences suspended for three years.