Courts / Dublin / Report
Teen took "running kicks" at St Patrick's Day volunteers
Summary
A 19‑year‑old named Niall Brooks was sentenced to three years' imprisonment, with the final six months suspended, for a "vile, barbaric and cowardly assault" on two St Patrick's Day volunteers at a Luas station in Tallaght. The assault, which took place on 17 March 2015, involved Brooks and another teenager repeatedly kicking the men in the head and body. The victims suffered extensive injuries, including skull fractures, broken eye sockets, broken cheek bones, and long‑term psychological effects. Brooks pleaded guilty to two counts of assault causing harm. He has three prior convictions and is currently serving a sentence for a robbery committed in 2014. The judge noted that the victims were innocent and that nothing they did warranted the assault. The court also heard victim impact statements detailing the victims' physical and economic losses. The co‑accused, Dean McKeever, was also jailed for three years for his part in the assault.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Teen took "running kicks" at St Patrick's Day volunteers. Charges or matters: two counts of assault causing harm to Brendan Cahill and Derek McDonald at the Luas terminal on Belgard Square East on March 17, 2015. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- March 17, 2015 Incident
- July 29, 2014 Other
- 2016-10-24 Publication
Why: He estimated an economic loss of €11,000 because of missing out on job placements and said he had a lot of bottled up anger. CNI source report
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Outcome: Dean McKeever (19) of no fixed abode, was jailed for three years for his part in the St Patrick's Day assault. He received a further sentence of three years with the final 12 months suspended for another assault on a later date.
Convicted Person
Charges: two counts of assault causing harm to Brendan Cahill and Derek McDonald at the Luas terminal on Belgard Square East on March 17, 2015 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Niall Brooks (19) "left his victims for dead" after he and another teenager took part in the unprovoked assault at the Luas station in Tallaght last year. "What you committed was nothing short of a vile, barbaric and cowardly assault on two absolutely innocent people," Judge O'Callaghan told Brooks today at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, as he sentenced him to three years' imprisonment with the final six months suspended. "There was nothing done or said by these innocent people which warranted you even looking at them crooked, never mind what you did to them." The attacks left the victims with Earlier this month, Brooks' co-accused, Dean McKeever (19) of no fixed abode, was jailed for three years for his part in the St Patrick's Day assault.
Places mentioned
Topics
Stage Sentence Theft Violent Crime
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