Court plea to let Travellers settle dispute with a handshake

THE Traveller community have their own ways of dealing with disputes and, in the interests of public order, it might be better to allow a violent dispute be settled with a handshake rather than a conviction. This was the argument put forward by two defence solicitors at Tuesday's sitting of Tuam Court when their clients were facing affray charges as a result of a violent incident outside the West Wing restaurant, Tuam. At the outset of the trial it was indicated by the defence that the issues had been resolved as was the custom in the Travelling community, with a handshake, and the defendants did not want to give evidence against each other. 'You think because you do that it's enough, everything is ok and you can just walk away from a charge,' Judge Geoffrey Browne said and agreed with a submission made by Garda Insp Michael O'Dwyer that the defendants be treated as hostile witnesses. The case continued based on statements already made to the Gardai. The Court heard that on the night of April 16, 2009 there was a  Traveller engagement party taking place in the West Wing. A dispute arose and this resulted in Anthony Ward of 14 Lissadyra, Tuam becoming involved in an altercation with Jimmy Conroy, Glenbricken, Clifden. In his statement Conroy said Ward pulled a knife out of his pocket and stabbed him four or five times in the face. He was treated at A & E in Galway for injuries after the incident. Ellen Sweeney gave evidence of seeing Ward use the knife and of driving Conroy, her brother, to hospital. She added that the matter had all been resolved and it was only the Guards who were 'stirring it up' now. Judge Browne asked if she didn't mind someone taking a knife and cutting up her brother. She said the matter was over. 'The inference I'm getting here is if one or both of these men are sent to prison for this then the feud will continue,' he said, adding that it was luck that nobody was killed as the knife could have gone the wrong way. Anthony Ward admitted being found in possession of a knife by Gardai after the incident but denied using it on Conroy. He said he fell on a broken glass. Evan Dwyer and Ciara Macklin, defending solicitors, argued that the dispute had been resolved within the Traveller community in their own manner and convictions would open old wounds. Judge Browne asked if the defence solicitors were implying that World War Three was going to break out if there were convictions handed down. Evan Dwyer acknowledged that there was 'something festering in the background'. 'Our clients have taken it upon themselves to deal with this within their own community. A damage limitation exercise, if you like. This is unusual but it's how they deal with such matters themselves,' he said, adding that the Travelling community did things in their own way. The defence solicitors repeatedly emphasised that there was concern over further trouble within the Travelling community if one or both of the defendant before the Court were convicted. They also noted that there was a larger than usual Garda presence in the Courtroom during the case to emphasise their concerns about further violence erupting. Insp Michael O'Dwyer argued that this was a serious incident in which either a knife or a bottle was used. Judge Browne bound both defendants to the peace for 12 months.