Yacht Club member who punched man over billiards game row avoids jail term

By Isabel Hayes

A man who punched a fellow yacht club member, leaving him with a fractured eye socket after he felt his refereeing skills in a billiards game were being belittled, has avoided a jail term.

Steven Gillman (70) had €15,000 in court as a token of his remorse for the victim in the case, whom he assaulted during a billiards tournament at the Royal St George Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin, in September 2023.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard Gillman “saw red” and set upon the 70-year-old man, punching him repeatedly to the face and twice more after the victim had fallen to the ground, Garda Steven Carton previously told David Perry BL, prosecuting.

The victim suffered a fractured eye socket and a dislocated eye lens as a result of the attack and required extensive and ongoing medical care, the court heard.

He continues to suffer with double vision and tinnitus and his sailing and golfing hobbies have suffered as a result.

Gillman, with an address at Castlepark, Monkstown, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm to the club member at the yacht club at Harbour Road, Dun Laoghaire on September 29, 2023.

He has no previous convictions and was described by defence counsel as a “model citizen”.

He has since resigned from the yacht club, which was a “significant part of his social life,” Marc Murphy BL, defending, said.

Sentencing Gillman today, Judge Elma Sheahan said this was a serious assault that had a profound effect on the victim.

She noted Gillman has been assessed as being at a low risk of re-offending, has a pro-social outlook and comes from a stable family environment.

She noted his remorse was genuine.

Judge Sheahan set a headline sentence of three years, which she reduced to two years.

She suspended the sentence in its entirety on a number of conditions.

In a victim impact statement which was previously read out by prosecuting counsel, the victim in the case said he would never forget the “manic” look in Gillman’s eyes as he punched him for as long as he lives.

“I am grateful to be alive, but the scars – seen and unseen – will remain forever,” the man said.

He said he has suffered permanent sight damage as a result of the assault and required surgery.

“The psychological toll has been immense,” he said, adding he is now anxious, that his social life has dropped and that he no longer enjoys playing snooker.

He said the assault has affected his personal relationships and his reputation in the yacht club, which was his main social outlet. He said he was shocked to be the victim of an assault at the age of 70 “in my yacht club by another member”.

The court heard that Gillman was interviewed by gardaí after the man reported the incident.

The court heard that prior to this, he sent an email to all the yacht club members apologising for his actions.

He told gardaí he felt the man was making “snide” comments about his ability to referee the billiards game during the tournament and that he felt uncomfortable and anxious as a result.

He said that he asked the man to apologise after the game, but the man refused. Gillman said he “saw red” and punched him.

Gillman runs his own educational software company and had been looking forward to his impending retirement, the court heard.

He is extremely remorseful for his actions and co-operated fully with the investigation, defence counsel said.

“He knows he made a complete fool of himself,” Mr Murphy told the court.

“To get to the age of 70 with no criminal record and then to end up before the Circuit Criminal Court…”

Gillman had “let himself down and let his family down”, defence counsel added.