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Solicitor had to learn how to walk again after devastating unprovoked attack by stranger
Summary
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, David McFadden, aged 29, was sentenced to six‑and‑a‑half years for a one‑punch assault that caused severe brain injuries to 38‑year‑old solicitor Kevin Geraghty. The attack occurred outside the Back Door Pub on 25 June 2016, when McFadden, who claimed to be a boxer, struck Geraghty on the head without provocation. Geraghty suffered catastrophic brain damage, required two emergency surgeries, spent ten days in a coma, and has been unable to return to work or drive. McFadden had been assaulted minutes earlier by another man, a fact he cited in court. The judge noted the unprovoked nature of the attack and the high culpability of McFadden, who had 24 prior convictions. The prosecution's victim impact statement highlighted Geraghty's ongoing physical and psychological difficulties. McFadden's defence argued the assault was not pre‑meditated and that he was highly intoxicated at the time. David McFadden pleaded guilty.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Solicitor had to learn how to walk again after devastating unprovoked attack by stranger. Charges or matters: one count of assault causing serious harm to Mr Geraghty outside the Back Door Pub in Dublin city centre on June 25, 2016. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- June 25, 2016 Incident
- 2018-01-15 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: one count of assault causing serious harm to Mr Geraghty outside the Back Door Pub in Dublin city centre on June 25, 2016 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Handing down a six-and-a-half year sentence, Judge Martin Nolan said McFadden carried out a one-punch attack that left his victim with "severe and devastating injuries".
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- New Cabra Road
- Dublin
- Dublin city
- St James's Hospital
Topics
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