A former Derry GAA player has appeared in court in the United States in connection with an "unprovoked attack" that left one victim at risk of losing a kidney.
Police in Boston, Massachusetts arrested Ciaran McFaul, 28, after an alleged assault in June of this year. The former Watty Grahams Glen star faces charges of assault and battery and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury.
Mr McFaul first joined the Derry panel in 2012 but left earlier this year, heading to Boston to play his football there.
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The Suffolk County District Attorney's office alleged that Mr McFaul was heavily intoxicated and was kicked out of Lincoln Tavern and Restaurant following his attempts to start fights inside the establishment on June 20 at around 2am local time.
It's then that the Co Derry-native allegedly encountered three men and assaulted the group. It's alleged that he punched one victim three times in the face, causing the victim to fall to the ground. He's also accused of kicking the victim in the abdomen at least five times with a shod foot.
It's understood the victim suffered serious internal injuries including a stage four kidney laceration and internal bleeding. He was hospitalised in the Intensive Care Unit of Brigham and Women’s Hospital for two days and risks the complete loss of one kidney as a result of the alleged attack.
Appearing in court on August 3, Judge Pamela M. Dashiell imposed a $5,000 cash bail – the same amount that was posted following McFaul’s arrest – and ordered him to stay away from and have no contact with the victim, surrender his passport, stay in Massachusetts for the duration of the case, wear a GPS tracking device, consume no alcohol and use a SCRAM device to monitor alcohol consumption.
District Attorney Kevin Hayden said: “This man’s hunger for violence resulted in potential life-long impacts on a victim who was doing nothing more than standing on a street corner with friends. We will ensure that he is held accountable for the harm he inflicted."
Mr McFaul returns to court on September 14 for a pre-trial hearing and is currently being represented by Attorney Keith Nicholson.
The centre-back was a key part of the Glen side who claimed a first-ever Derry SFC title last autumn with Malachy O’Rourke’s side taking Kilcoo to extra-time in the Ulster Club series in December.
After McFaul left the Derry panel in April, boss Rory Gallagher said: “It’s come to an end in a way that suits both parties.
“Ciaran’s commitment levels haven’t been what has been needed since the very start of the year and by his own admission, he’s not performed as we would expect him to.
“If he wants to revisit that for next year, we’ll certainly look at that but for now he won’t be involved.”
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