Man who broke skull in attack gets suspended sentence

A man who broke another man’s skull three years ago by delivering a running kick to his forehead has received a suspended sentence.

Dean Adams (22) pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm to Deomid Ryabkov at Emmet Road, Inchicore, in Dublin, on February 19th, 2012.

Adams, of Bernard Curtis House, Bluebell, Dublin, attacked Mr Ryabkov as he was tackling a thief who was trying to steal his headphones.

Adams told gardaí­that the man who had stolen the victim’s headphones was a friend of his.

He said he saw his friend struggling with the victim and decided to intervene.

Adams later told gardaí he was “remorseful” and never meant to harm the victim.

Judge Mary Ellen Ring suspended a sentence of three-and-a-half-years on condition that Adams keep the peace and engage with the Probation Service's education and training programmes.

“If you lift your foot or your fist to anyone you’ll do three-and-a-half-years and any sentence on top of that,” the judge said.

The court had heard that Mr Ryabkov had been about to enter a takeaway on Emmet Road when a man grabbed his headphones from his head and ran off.

Garda Mark Dennehy told Colm O’Briain BL, prosecuting, that the victim pursued the thief and managed to grab hold of him, shouting out for someone to call the police.

The court heard that Mr Ryabkov then felt an impact on the side of his face and realised that a second man had hit him.

My Ryabkov fell on the ground and there was blood coming from his head.

The man who had stolen the headphones said: “It wasn’t me that did that to you”, as a crowd began to gather.

The court heard that there were shouts of “kill him, kill him” from the crowd.

As the victim lay on the ground, Adams ran about thirty yards and kicked him in the forehead and head in what gardaí­described as an “unprovoked assault”.

The victim suffered a “severe skull fracture”, which posed a risk to his vision.

Apology

Adams told Bernard Condon SC, defending, that he would like to apologise to his victim and accepts that he is 100 per cent to blame.

He said he would like to continue with his drug treatment programme as he only really gets into trouble when he is intoxicated.

Adams told the court: “This is not what I want in life. I am really truly sorry and I sincerely apologise.”

Mr Condon said it was his client’s “deepest wish” that the victim would forgive him.

He said that his client’s background was “far from ideal.” He said that Adams had spent time in care and in detention in St Patrick’s Institution.

Mr Condon said that Adams developed drink and drug problems and left school early.