Courts / Dublin / Report

Grandad-of-ten in '90 seconds of madness' attack that 'destroyed his life'

Summary

Stephen McKeever, 49, of Drimnagh, was jailed for three years after pleading guilty to assault causing harm to a neighbour in a SuperValu Walkinstown carpark on 22 November 2023. The attack, described as "90 seconds of madness", followed McKeever's consumption of 17–18 pints of beer the night before. CCTV showed him kicking and punching the victim for up to two minutes, resulting in a broken nose, fractured eye socket and chipped teeth. The victim required surgery and spent three days in St James' Hospital. McKeever, who has no prior convictions and is a father of ten children and ten grandchildren, expressed remorse and claimed the incident was a moment of madness. The judge set a headline sentence of seven years, reduced to four with the final year suspended, and imposed a one‑year probation period and a three‑year restriction on contact with the victim.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Grandad-of-ten in '90 seconds of madness' attack that 'destroyed his life'. Charges or matters: one count of assault causing harm to the man in the carpark of SuperValu Walkinstown on November 22, 2023. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• November 22, 2023 Incident
• 2025-03-12 Publication

Why: Mr Clarke said a probation report put McKeever at moderate risk of re-offending because "of elements used in the offence itself', and this was not based on an analysis of his previous good character. CNI source report

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Stage Sentence Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report