By Fiona Ferguson
A teenager who seriously assaulted a man who remonstrated with a group of youths after a ball hit his car as he waited for a takeaway has been placed under probation supervision for a year.
The court heard the boy, who was 15 years old at the time and had been among the group playing football, hit the man once to the right side of his face, knocking him to the ground unconscious.
The man suffered a serious head injury and has been unable to return to work.
The boy ran from the scene and took a train, while others stayed behind to check on the man.
The accused was later identified from Irish Rail CCTV and admitted hitting the man.
The now 17- year-old, who cannot be named as he is a juvenile, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm to the man on March 21, 2021.
He has 11 previous convictions including two previous for assault, robbery and drugs offences.
Judge Orla Crowe noted the man had not been expecting the blow which caused “considerable damage.”
She said it was one punch but it has had “such a profound effect” and the man had been unable to defend himself.
“It goes to show one punch is sufficient to cause terrible damage to people,” she said.
The judge noted in mitigation the boy’s early guilty plea, his remorse, the support of his mother and a report indicating a diagnosis of ADHD.
She took into account it was not a sustained attack and his young age at the time.
She noted the Covid pandemic had “affected him very significantly” and he had come through a lot of adversity.
She said his risk factors for reoffending included a negative peer group.
Judge Crowe placed him under probation supervision for 12 months and ordered an updated probation report for one year’s time.