Two men charged over Ballyfermot assault that left girl seriously injured

Darragh Lyons and Jack Cummins, both aged 18, charged over Dublin attack

Two men have been granted bail with strict conditions after they were charged with attacking a teenage girl and her friend who were seriously injured in Dublin last week.

Darragh Lyons and Jack Cummins, both aged 18, were ordered by a judge to obey curfews which will be checked by gardaí.

The 17-year-old girl, who cannot be identified because she is a juvenile, and a male teenager, were both hospitalised after an assault in west Dublin at approximately 9.40pm on December 30th.

Gardaí conducted searches and arrested the two defendants on Thursday.

READ MORE

They were charged at Ballyfermot station and held overnight.

The pair appeared separately before Judge Michael Walsh at Dublin District Court on Friday.

Darragh Lyons, of Weir View, Glenaulin, Chapelizod, Dublin 20, was accused of assault causing harm to a named female.

Co-defendant Jack Cummins, from Rossmore Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin, was charged with assault causing harm to a teenage boy.

Garda Ciaran Murray told Judge Walsh that Mr Lyons made no reply when charged.

The garda did not object to bail but asked for “strict conditions”, including a 9pm to 6am curfew, no contact with the injured party or prosecution witnesses, and an order to give gardaí his mobile phone number.

Judge Walsh imposed the terms and warned the youth he must notify gardaí of any address change.

Defence solicitor Luke Staines successfully objected to a request to order his client to sign on daily at his local Garda station. Mr Staines said his unemployed client had no prior convictions.

He added that his client had “on a number occasions tried to hand himself in relation to this matter”.

However, the solicitor said that gardaí did not want to do it that way and came to his home.

Detective Garda Michael McNulty told the court that Mr Cummins also made no reply to the charge. He consented to bail subject to similar conditions.

His solicitor Lorraine Stephens told the judge that Mr Cummins worked for a tyre company and had no prior criminal convictions. “He specifically asked me to indicate that it is accepted he did not cause injuries to the young woman involved,” she said.

The solicitor questioned whether the curfew clashed with her client’s working hours. However, Detective Garda McNulty told the court it would not affect his work.

Judge Walsh ordered Mr Cummins to remain indoors at his home from 9pm to 7am and to have no contact with witnesses.

The pair spoke briefly during their court hearings, saying “yes” when asked if they understood the bail terms.

The judge warned them that gardaí should make an application in court to revoke bail if they breached the order.

They were remanded on €200 bail to appear again on April 1st. Directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions have to be obtained.