Courts / Dublin / Report
Family homeless at Christmas after house attacked with rocks
Summary
Four young men – John (22) and Christopher (23) Connors, Paddy (22) Connors and James (19) Wall – were sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for attacking a family home with stones and rocks on 23 December 2016. The assault, which took place at 2.45 am, left the occupants, including a newborn and a girl with special needs, homeless and forced them to spend Christmas in a hotel. The men pleaded guilty to criminal damage. Judge Melanie Greally imposed a 12‑month probation bond on John Connors, adjourned to 31 July 2020, and a two‑year suspended sentence on James Wall. Paddy Connors received a four‑year sentence with the final 12 months suspended on strict conditions, while Christopher Connors was sentenced to four years with the final 18 months suspended. All sentences reflected the men's intoxication and the impact on the victim family.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Family homeless at Christmas after house attacked with rocks. Charges or matters: criminal damage of the house in Churchtown, Dublin on December 23, 2016. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- December 23, 2016 Incident
- July 31, 2020 Adjournment
- Christmas Incident
- 2019-07-31 Publication
Why: 45am, because he did not like how the conversation was going. CNI source report
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: criminal damage of the house in Churchtown, Dublin on December 23, 2016 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Judge Greally sentenced Paddy Connors to four years but suspended the final 12 months on strict conditions. Christopher Connors was sentenced to four years with the final 18 months suspended.; Judge Melanie Greally placed John Connors on a 12 month probation bond and adjourned his sentence to July 31, 2020 when she said she would considered a suspended term if he continued to engage with the Probation Service.
Defendant
Charges: criminal damage of the house in Churchtown, Dublin on December 23, 2016 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: She sentenced James Wall to two years which she suspended in full, having taken into account that he was not the instigator of the offence, that he had no previous convictions and there was a favourable probation report before the court.; Judge Melanie Greally placed John Connors on a 12 month probation bond and adjourned his sentence to July 31, 2020 when she said she would considered a suspended term if he continued to engage with the Probation Service.
Defendant
Charges: criminal damage of the house in Churchtown, Dublin on December 23, 2016 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Judge Melanie Greally placed John Connors on a 12 month probation bond and adjourned his sentence to July 31, 2020 when she said she would considered a suspended term if he continued to engage with the Probation Service. Judge Greally sentenced Paddy Connors to four years but suspended the final 12 months on strict conditions.; Judge Melanie Greally placed John Connors on a 12 month probation bond and adjourned his sentence to July 31, 2020 when she said she would considered a suspended term if he continued to engage with the Probation Service.
Places mentioned
- Dublin
- Dublin Circuit Criminal Court
- Dublin
- Nurney
- Carlow
- Nutgrove Crescent
- Rathfarnham
Topics
Related court reports
- 'I am tiger': car wash owner punched van driver, attacked coffee truck operator
- Gardener 'in fear' when he agreed to hold €90k worth of drugs
- Criminal with 168 priors is jailed for high speed chase and burglary of pensioner's home
- 'The women of my community no longer feel safe to walk our streets': victim of sex attacker who falsely claimed to be Syrian asylum seeker
- Liquidator appointed to company behind well-known Green Hen restaurant
- Provisional liquidator appointed to company behind well-known Green hen restaurant
If a fact, identity, locality or legal outcome needs review, email the newsroom with this report's details prefilled.
Email a correction request