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Homeless man attacked and left with 'horrendous' injuries

Summary

In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, Andrew Byrne, 35, was sentenced to three years' imprisonment for assault causing harm and theft after he punched a homeless man in the back of the head at Temple Bar on 11 September last year. Byrne struck the victim, who was unconscious, causing facial fractures, a broken jaw, broken teeth and a split tongue. The victim, a homeless man living in a hostel, suffered ongoing memory loss, fear and anxiety, and has stopped going out alone. Byrne, who has 93 prior convictions including assault and public order offences, was arrested after CCTV footage captured the incident. He pleaded guilty, admitted the assault, and expressed deep regret. The judge noted Byrne's high culpability and backdated the sentence to his custody in January. The woman who accompanied Byrne remains before the courts.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Homeless man attacked and left with 'horrendous' injuries. Charges or matters: assault causing harm and theft at Temple Bar, Dublin on September 11 last year. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• September 11 Incident
• 2021-11-23 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Public Order Stage Sentence Theft Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report