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Drugs user in "barbaric" attack on older man walking home from pub
Summary
In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 25‑year‑old Liam O'Neill pleaded guilty to robbing 58‑year‑old Paul Mullarkey on Grattan Parade, Drumcondra, on 29 November. O'Neill had consumed heroin, cocaine and alcohol that day. CCTV showed him jostling Mullarkey, thrusting a sharp piece of a small tree branch into his stomach and throat, threatening to stab him, kicking and punching him, then biting parts of his ear and nose. The attack lasted about six minutes, during which O'Neill stamped on Mullarkey's head and torso and stole €50. Mullarkey suffered cuts, scratches and bite injuries, requiring treatment at the Mater. O'Neill was arrested that evening after erratic behaviour outside Mater Hospital; DNA on his clothing matched Mullarkey's. O'Neill had 82 prior convictions, including violent offences, and had served a four‑year term for a previous robbery. Judge Martin Nolan described the robbery as "serious" and the assault as "visceral and barbaric".
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Drugs user in "barbaric" attack on older man walking home from pub. Charges or matters: robbing Paul Mullarkey at Grattan Parade, Drumcondra on November 29 last year. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- November 29 Incident
- December 17 Incident
- 2019-07-26 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: robbing Paul Mullarkey at Grattan Parade, Drumcondra on November 29 last year (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Judge Nolan said the headline jail term for the robbery should be up to nine years but he imposed a prison sentence of six years after taking O'Neill's guilty plea and genuine remorse into account. The sentence was backdated to December 17 last when O'Neill was first placed in custody.
Places mentioned
Topics
Drugs Stage Sentence Theft Violent Crime
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