A cleaner slapped an 11-year-old girl across the face with his open hand after he saw the child pour liquid over his distressed wife at a shopping centre.

Redas Jokna (43) of Ballycasey Crescent, Shannon, Co Clare, pleaded guilty to the assault of the child last September.

Both Mr Jokna and his wife work as cleaners for a cleaning firm at the Skycourt Shopping Centre in Shannon. Solicitor for Ms Jokna, Tara Godfrey, said that her client was subject "to severe provocation".

Ms Godfrey said that Mr Jokna had taken a call from his wife last September 8 seeking his help. Mr Jokna said that his wife was crying and distressed over the phone concerning a group of children and she told him "they are still abusing me".

Mr Jokna said he arrived near the food court and saw a girl pour water from a drink container on his wife's head.

He said: "I asked them to leave and they said 'you Polish bastard, do you want some juice, too?'

"I got so angry I could barely remember anything."

Mr Jokna said after the incident, one of the children started crying and they all walked out.

He told gardaí that his wife had juice on her chest and she had bits of pizza on her pants.

Ms Godfrey said the provocation continued right up to this week where "inflated condoms are being thrown at Mr Jokna, words are being expressed to him and he is suffering quite an amount of abuse".

Concerning the assault, Mr Jokna told gardaí: "I regret my actions, I am not proud of them."

Ms Godfrey said that she had a letter in court from his employer stating that they consider Mr Jokna to be a good, honourable, hard-working member of staff.

The case was adjourned to July 10 at Ennis District Court, to allow the girl provide a victim impact statement.

Irish Independent