Two jailed for ‘savage’ attack on passing cyclist in Dublin

A second year engineering student and an apprentice electrician have been jailed for a “savage” attack on a passing cyclist.

Kenneth Valentine (27) punched the cyclist in the face and Richard McCudden (24) joined in with the beating when the man tried to protect himself by swinging his bike lock.

The cyclist, Darren Molloy, told gardaí he thought Valentine had wanted to know the time when he stepped onto the road and pointed to his wrist.

Valentine, an electrical engineering student of Rosemount Glade, Dundrum, Dublin and McCudden, an apprentice electrician of Nutgrove Avenue, Rathfarnham, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting Mr Molloy causing him harm at Dundrum Road on November 20th, 2013.

The men also pleaded guilty to damaging the front passenger window of a taxi on Churchtown Road Lower, Churchtown on the same date.

Valentine has 11 previous convictions, including two assaults and McCudden has four previous convictions.

Detective Garda Paul Corcoran told the court the men caused €100 damage to the car window when they started fighting each other a short time after Mr Molloy had escaped from them.

Judge Martin Nolan jailed Valentine for 14 months and McCudden for eight months, as he had a lesser role in what the judge described as a “savage” attack.

Det Garda Corcoran told Fiona McGowan BL, prosecuting, that Mr Molloy had been cycling home just before 4am when he saw Valentine step onto the road near a pub and point to his wrist.

Det Garda Corcoran said he tracked the men down through CCTV footage and a pub owner’s description of two regular customers who had been playing darts that night.

The pub owner told gardaí­ that Valentine had been aggressive when he’d left the premises with McCudden in the early hours of the morning.

Det Gda Corcoran agreed with Patrick Reynolds BL, defending Valentine, that his client had raised €2,000 for Mr Molloy as a gesture of remorse and €150 for the taxi driver.

He agreed Valentine had been co-operative with gardaí­ and had not come to any attention since.

The detective agreed with Justin McQuade BL, defending McCudden, that his client had raised similar amounts for both injured parties and had had a lesser role in the attack on Mr Molloy.

Mr Reynolds submitted that his client had hoped to achieve an honours degree in his subject in a couple of years. He submitted that Valentine’s uncle had died suddenly at the time of the offence and that he had been drinking heavily.

Mr McQuade submitted that McCudden had also been drinking heavily at the time as his father had been very sick. Both defence counsel asked the judge to take into account their clients’ guilty pleas.