SCOTTISH TOURIST WITH ALCOHOL ISSUES PUNCHES GIRLFRIEND IN DUBLIN STREET

Garen Benzie, aged 29, was brought before Dublin District Court after pleading guilty to assaulting his girlfriend and engaging in threatening, abusive, or insulting behavior. He was arrested on February 15 and spent two nights in custody, during which he was described as having consumed up to eight pints of alcohol and was "quite well on" at the time of the incident. The court heard that the incident occurred in front of passing Gardaí when Benzie was shouting and cursing on Liffey Street. Witnesses observed him raising his hand and "punching a female in the face," causing her to fall backwards onto the road. Gardaí, who detected a strong smell of alcohol and observed that Benzie was slurring his words, confirmed that the woman was his girlfriend. He had no previous convictions. His defense solicitor stated that Benzie and his partner had come to Ireland from Scotland for the weekend, and he had consumed between seven and eight pints between 3 pm and 7 pm on the day of the incident. The solicitor argued that Benzie "more slapped her than punched her" and that he did not intend to assault her, describing the act as "one of those unfortunate incidents." Benzie was sentenced to make a €200 donation to Women’s Aid and was dismissed of assault and public order charges after pleading guilty. The court emphasized that alcohol consumption is not an excuse for violence and further stated that the incident was "unfortunate." Benzie, who was described by his partner as normally well-behaved, expressed remorse and ended up spending two nights in custody. His partner, who was in court, indicated she fully forgave him and declined to make a victim-impact statement.