By Eimear Dodd
A man who assaulted his friend, causing him to fall unconscious to the ground, put him in the recovery position, then went back into a Dublin pub, a court has heard.
Brian McKeown (29) struck his friend four times, with the last blow hitting his head, outside the Swallows Pub in Clondalkin. The injured man fell to the ground unconscious.
McKeown put him in the recovery position, then went back into the pub, telling others what had happened. He remained in the pub for some hours afterwards socialising, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court was told.
A couple parking in the car park thought the injured man had slipped as the ground was icy, while others left the pub to help him.
The injured party was only on the ground for a few minutes. He was taken to hospital by ambulance, where he required emergency surgery for serious head injuries. He spent several weeks in a coma, but has since made a significant recovery, though he does not remember that night.
McKeown, of Kilmahuddrick Avenue, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, pleaded guilty to assaulting the other man causing him harm on January 4, 2025. He has no previous convictions.
Evidence was heard that both men were separately at that pub following the funeral of a mutual friend who had died tragically over the Christmas period.
The men left the pub together and walked to a nearby betting shop. CCTV showed what appeared to be a row between the two men while they were walking back to the pub, after which McKeown assaulted the injured party.
Gardai became aware of the assault after they were contacted by a relative of the injured party. McKeown’s house was later searched and a distinctive t-shirt he was wearing in the CCTV footage was seized.
He was arrested on January 13, 2025 and gave a voluntary cautioned statement. He admitted striking the injured party, who he said had been threatening towards him. McKeown also said he believed the injured party had a knife.
In a victim impact statement read to the court by prosecuting counsel, Emmet Nolan BL, the injured party said he has lost confidence in crowded spaces as he is worried this could happen again.
He said his way of socialising has completely changed and he experienced financial loss as a result.
The investigating garda agreed with Keith Spencer BL, defending, that his client was apologetic when interviewed and said his mental health had been affected by his friend’s death.
It was further accepted that McKeown went into residential treatment for addiction issues in March 2025, has not come to recent garda attention and there has been no continuation of this disagreement.
Mr Spencer said this was a “very serious assault” and his client is “extremely regretful” this occurred.
He said his client was “very emotionally dysregulated and unhinged at the time” given the circumstances in his life at the time.
Counsel said his client has completed residential treatment and is clean. He submitted it is a “testament” to his client that his addiction issues “did not lead him into a court environment”.
A letter of apology was submitted to the court, which the injured party is prepared to accept.
Testimonials, including from a Baptist church which McKeown now attends, were provided to the court.
Mr Spencer said his client had brought €1,700 to court as a token of remorse, which the injured party was willing to accept. McKeown was also willing to try to save up to €10,000 as a further token when he starts work.
Judge Orla Crowe said the court viewed this as a case of some complexity and “as a particularly serious matter”. Remanding McKeown on continuing bail, she directed the Probation Service to carry out a risk assessment on him and adjourned the case to July for finalisation.
She directed the €1,700 to be transferred to gardai for onward transmission to the injured party.
The judge told Mr Spencer it is for his client to decide if he wished to offer a further token of remorse. “This court is not going to engage in bidding, it deals with the matter as it finds it”.