Pensioner smeared ketchup on face in bid to fake assault

An Irish pensioner who was given two ASBOs smeared ketchup on his face and pretended to gardai that he had been assaulted by his neighbour. Anthony Crosby, 73, tried to make it look like he was bleeding from injuries suffered in an assault but gardai immediately got a "strong smell of ketchup" from him, a court heard. Despite being given a third order over his anti-social behaviour, he repeatedly harassed his neighbour at a south-Dublin housing complex for the elderly. Crosby admitted harassing William Paisley in the Rathmines suburb of Dublin on dates between April and August 2013.

He also pleaded guilty to one count of assaulting Mr Paisley by spitting on him on November 18, 2013. Judge Bryan Smyth ordered him not to come within 1km of the housing complex for five years, and to have no communication with Mr Paisley. He also fined the defendant €200 for the assault. Garda Michael Cunningham said he called to Cosy Lodge residences at Mount Anthony on July 5, 2013, and spoke to the caretaker who said an assault had been alleged between the accused and Mr Paisley. Crosby complained that he had been assaulted.



"I could see no injuries but I got a strong smell of ketchup coming from Mr Crosby," Garda Cunningham said. "He had smeared ketchup over his face to mimic blood, as if an assault had taken place." Mr Paisley said it was an ongoing problem with the accused. Crosby had already been given two anti-social behaviour orders. In August, the garda became aware that Crosby had again engaged in acts of "abusing" the victim. He served him with a third and final order. On four more occasions, the victim was "abused" by Crosby and Gda Cunningham arrested him. Garda Martin O'Connell said of the assault charge that a verbal argument resulted in the defendant spitting in Mr Paisley's face.

The court heard the defendant had previous convictions for assault but his last was in 1999. He had moved permanently from the address and was now living in an old people's home on the other side of the city. The accused, with the aid of an interpreter for the hard of hearing, told the court he would have no further contact with Mr Paisley. Mr Paisley said just before the accused moved, it was "constant harassment, almost every day", but he accepted that Crosby was "gone now". Defence solicitor Michael Hanahoe said Crosby had been under the "false impression that he was the victim for a long period of time but he now accepts that is not the position".