An Armagh man who breached Covid regulations on mass gatherings by attending a bare knuckle fight has been handed a conditional discharge.
Court heard the 27-year-old was one of almost 200 people who attended to watch the brawl on the Battleford Road last February.
Darren Maughan, of Callanbridge Park, had a plea of guilty entered on his behalf to two counts of contravention of Covid restrictions at Armagh Magistrates’ Court, sitting at Newry, on Tuesday.
Prosecution outlined that between 11.15am and 1.30pm on February 28 of last year, a mass gathering occurred to the rear of an address on the Battleford Road, Armagh, for the purpose of a pre-arranged bare knuckle fight.
Around 190 to 200 people attended to watch the fight. Police informed those present this was in breach of Covid regulations but they failed to disperse, and one of those present was the defendant.
Defence counsel stated that Maughan was a 27-year-old father-of-three, with children ranging between one and six years of age.
Noting no relevant entries for breaches in the past, District Judge Bernie Kelly handed the defendant a conditional discharge for a period of 12 months.
