Aaron Shattock given three-year term with final 18 months suspended

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Judge Martin Nolan sentenced Aaron Shattock at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to three years in prison, suspending the final 18 months under strict conditions, for a racist assault. Aaron Shattock pleaded guilty to assault causing harm. The attack happened on 21 August 2013 at exit 11 of the M50 in Tallaght. The proceedings were reported on 17 April 2015.

The report described racial abuse directed at cousins Yasser Saud and Hudi Saud before a group attacked them. Garda Brian Hurl told prosecutor Gerardine Small BL that the cousins endured a prolonged assault. The report said Aaron Shattock broke a stick against Hudi Saud’s arm. Hudi Saud also sustained a broken jaw.

According to the report, Aaron Shattock threw a fragment of the stick from three feet away, hitting Yasser Saud’s right eye. Bleeding and optic nerve damage left Yasser Saud effectively blind in that eye, and recovery of his sight was not expected.

Gardaí arrested Aaron Shattock at home two days after the attack. He challenged the victim’s account, while acknowledging that he had thrown the stick at Yasser Saud. He said he did not know where it landed.

In his victim impact statement, Yasser Saud described losing the coordination needed for sport. He worried that others would notice his damaged vision, avoided people and felt that sympathy had made his friendships seem insincere.

Under questioning from defence counsel Colman Fitzgerald BL, Garda Brian Hurl accepted that Aaron Shattock had no convictions, cooperated with investigators and showed genuine remorse. Colman Fitzgerald BL said his client worked full-time, had completed his Leaving Certificate the previous year and was attempting to separate himself from those involved. Counsel described the attack as out of character.

Judge Martin Nolan took account of Aaron Shattock’s remorse and clean record, accepting that he had not intended to cause blindness. The judge considered the incident isolated but said it warranted unequivocal condemnation.