A SECOND man has been charged in connection with an assault on Down GAA player Caolan Mooney which left him hospitalised with head injuries.
The 35-year-old has been charged with affray, grievous bodily harm and assault occasioning actual bodily harm and will appear before Newry magistrates court on January 22.
Mr Mooney (26) and his 32--year-old brother, Patrick, were attacked in the Merchant’s Quay area of Newry in the early hours of Monday December 30
A 37-year-old man appeared in Armagh magistrates court yesterday charged in connection with the asault on Patrick Mooney.
Lee Daniel McKay was charged with affray and attempted grievous bodily harm with intent.
The court heard that Mr McKay, who lives in Australia but has an address at Drumalane Park in Newry, was captured on CCTV footage hitting Patrick Mooney.
The footage allegedly showed Mr McKay had not delivered the blow which left Caolan Mooney unconscious but that he had repeatedly hit Patrick Mooney.
The elder brother, who lives in San Francisco, had returned from the US to spend Christmas in Newry, with Caolan Mooney posting a picture on social media to mark a family reunion "for the first time in 9.5 years".
Mr McKay was granted bail, subject to a curfew and on the basis that he surrenders his passport, to appear in court again next month.
Caolan Mooney moved to Australia in 2011 to play Australian Rules football for Melbourne side Collingwood.
He returned to play with Down and his club Rostrevor in 2014 and now works as a personal trainer.
