Man to be sentenced for attack on two American tourists

By Claire Henry

A man who carried out an unprovoked attack on two American tourists in their sixties in the elevator of a Dublin hotel will be sentenced later this year.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Sean Dunne (26), currently of Clover Hill Prison, pleaded guilty to two counts of assault causing harm against a man and woman on April 7, 2023, at the Ashling Hotel, Parkgate Street, Dublin.

Dunne has ten previous convictions, which include convictions for threatening and abusive behaviour, breach of a barring order, and criminal damage.

Garda Stephen Lawlor told Michael Horrigan BL, prosecuting, that he was on mobile patrol on the night in question. He received a call about an alleged assault just after 9 pm. When he arrived at the hotel, he saw one man, who was later identified as Dunne, being restrained on the corridor floor. He also noted blood on the carpet.

The court heard that Dunne was arrested and cautioned at the scene and placed into a garda van. Gardaí spoke with both injured parties, an American couple aged in their sixties. They said they had returned to the hotel after eating dinner locally. They went to the hotel bar and ordered a drink before getting into the elevator. Dunne also entered the elevator.

Gda Lawlor said Dunne told the woman that he was going to “rape her and kill him”, indicating her husband. He then struck the woman in the mouth and began to attack her husband. The woman pressed the panic button. When the door of the elevator opened, the woman screamed for help, and two others came to their assistance.

The court heard that Dunne was still attacking the man, and there was blood everywhere. As Dunne was being subdued by onlookers, he continued to say that he was “going to kill” the man. The man fell to his knees and was shaking. The couple received treatment at the scene from the emergency services but did not require hospital treatment.

The woman told gardaí that this was an unprovoked attack. The court heard that this was the couple’s last night in Ireland, and they returned to the United States the following day. Images of the injuries sustained by both injured parties were handed into the court.

Dunne was interviewed but denied that he assaulted either of the injured parties. He has been in custody since April 2023. Dunne took a trial date but pleaded in advance of his trial.

Gda Lawlor agreed with defending counsel that this was a “frenzied attack” and that Dunne had not known the couple.

The garda agreed with counsel that Dunne exhibited signs of someone going through a psychotic break and that he suffers from schizophrenia, which was diagnosed in 2020.

The court heard that Dunne had been homeless and turned to addictive substances. Since he went into custody, he has been doing very well, and his mental health has improved significantly.

 Dunne is currently on medication. He is off all addictive substances and is tested regularly in prison.

 Ms Justice Sarah Berkeley ordered the probation services to carry out a report and adjourned this matter for finalisation until October 2024.