Courts / Dublin / Report

Referee beaten up after trying to break up row

Summary

In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 22‑year‑old Emmet Prizeman received a suspended 18‑month prison sentence for assaulting Stephen Merchant, a professional referee from England, after a row with his girlfriend escalated outside a Harcourt Street nightclub. CCTV showed Prizeman punching Merchant once and then kicking him twice while he was on the ground, striking him on the head. Merchant was briefly unconscious, taken to hospital, and fully recovered. Prizeman pleaded guilty to assault causing harm on 24 May 2017. The judge, citing his lack of prior convictions, good work record, and a character reference from a catering teacher, reduced a headline three‑year sentence to 18 months, suspended on the condition of keeping the peace for two years and engaging in victim‑ and offence‑focused work with the Probation Service.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Referee beaten up after trying to break up row. Charges or matters: assault causing harm on May 24, 2017. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• May 24, 2017 Incident
• 2019-04-11 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report