Man jailed for assaulting supermarket worker

By Eimear Dodd

 A teenager assaulted a security guard and took part in “obnoxious thuggery” in a supermarket, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has heard. 

Raymond Carroll (then 16) was part of a group of youths who entered the Lidl store on Moore Street on March 11, 2020, then started causing trouble.

The now 21-year-old opened a pack of biscuits and threw them in the air over customers. He also threw a cardboard box and became aggressive when a security guard took it from him.

A co-accused threw a plastic bottle at the injured party, who sustained a fractured nose and orbital bone, bruising and swelling to his face. The court heard that the co-accused pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and received a two-year suspended sentence in January 2023.

Carroll also pushed another security guard, causing him to stumble. He picked up a plastic cone from the floor and raised it over his shoulder as if he was going to strike this security guard.

The injured party tried to restrain Carroll by getting him to the floor, but Carroll pulled on his legs, taking him to the ground.

CCTV footage of the incident was played to the court on Friday.

Carroll, with an address at Curragh Lodge, Curragh West, Co. Dublin, had been due to stand trial later this year on charges of assault causing harm and criminal damage.

His defence made a proposal which was accepted by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), and Carroll pleaded guilty to the charge of Section 2 assault, which carries a maximum sentence of six months imprisonment.

A victim impact statement was provided to the court. Jane Murphy BL, prosecuting, highlighted that the injured party outlines that he no longer feels safe while working and worries about being attacked again.

Garda Amy Barclay agreed with defence counsel that Carroll has no previous convictions, has not come to garda attention since this incident and met gardai by appointment for interview, during which nothing of evidential value was obtained.

It was further accepted that Carroll was in the care of the State at the time, and was involved with a negative peer group which he has since disassociated from. The garda also agreed that the incident only lasted a few seconds.

Defence counsel told Judge Elma Sheahan that his client is now living with his partner in the United Kingdom and in stable employment.

His client is not involved in criminality and has seized an opportunity to live life crime-free, counsel said. When the defence’s proposal was accepted by the DPP, Carroll returned to Ireland to deal with this case.

Judge Sheahan said the CCTV footage showed Carroll and the co-accused involved in “obnoxious thuggery”. She said this type of behaviour affected not only the injured party, but the people working in the shop and living in the community who have to “put up with” that type of behaviour.

The judge noted that mitigation includes Carrol’s guilty plea, and his lack of previous convictions.

She said she would set a headline sentence of five months for an adult, but reduced this to three months as Carroll was a juvenile at the time of this offence.

Judge Sheahan said “not withstanding his thuggish behaviour”, it appeared Carroll was on the “road to rehabilitation” and imposed a two and half month sentence, fully suspended on strict conditions.