Courts / Dublin / Report

Violent offender jailed for savage attack on stranger

Summary

James O'Driscoll, aged 51, was sentenced to 40 months in prison for a savage attack on a stranger on O'Connell Street in Dublin in March 2020. O'Driscoll claimed he had mistaken the victim for a man who had entered his niece's bedroom. The victim, who had spent the night at a "crack house" in the inner city, suffered a large stab wound to the leg and head injuries. The assault was captured on CCTV, showing O'Driscoll repeatedly kicking the man in the head as he cowered in a hotel doorway. O'Driscoll pleaded guilty to assault causing harm. He has 100 previous convictions, including assault, threats to kill, robbery and theft. Judge Martin Nolan described the attack as "a savage attack" and noted O'Driscoll's criminal record before handing down the sentence. The victim was taken to hospital and treated for his injuries. O'Driscoll was arrested after gardaí recognised him from the footage.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Violent offender jailed for savage attack on stranger. Charges or matters: assault causing harm to the man on March 30, 2020. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• March 2020 Incident
• March 30, 2020 Incident
• 2022-11-07 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence Theft Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report