Boy barred from Dublin city centre following alleged attack

A 16-year-old boy has been barred from Dublin city-centre after he was charged with attacking a young man who suffered serious facial injuries during an incident in Temple Bar.

The boy, who cannot be named because he is minor, was granted bail with strict conditions after he appeared at Dublin Children’s Court on Friday morning.

He is charged with assault causing harm to Andrew Cusack (21), who was taken to St James's Hospital to be treated for lacerations to his face following the alleged incident in the early hours of Monday at Dame Lane.

The case is to involve “an awful lot of CCTV as well”, Judge John O’Connor heard.

Mr Cusack is the son of Professor Stephen Cusack, an expert on emergency medicine at UCC.

Garda Keith Connors told Judge O’Connor that he arrested the boy at his west Dublin home at 7.50am on Thursday. He was brought to Pearse Street Garda station where he was detained.

Garda Connors said that the teenager was released at 6.10pm at which point he was charged in the presence of his mother. Garda Connors said that after the boy was cautioned “he made no reply to the charge”.

Garda Connors had no objection to bail subject to conditions and he asked for a six-week remand for directions from the DPP to be obtained. Defence solicitor David Stafford consented and said the bail terms had been canvassed and agreed in advance of the hearing.

The teenager was ordered to stay out of Dublin 1 and Dublin 2 areas, to reside at his family home and observe a curfew there from 9pm to 8am daily, sign on three days a week at his local Garda station and to “abstain from alcohol and non-prescribed medication”.

Dressed in a sweater, shorts and runners, the boy sat beside his mother for the duration of the hearing.

He spoke briefly saying “yes” when the judge asked him if understood the bail terms. The judge warned him he risked being held in custody if he broke the conditions to which the teen nodded and replied: “no problem”.

The judge then ordered the teenager to appear again in mid-June and asked him was he doing exams. “No, I’m finished,” the teen said.

Judge O’Connor agreed to Mr Stafford’s request to make an order for disclosure of prosecution evidence to the defence which is to include medical reports. The garda said he would be comply and that “there is an awful lot of CCTV as well”.

The boy has not yet entered a plea to the charge. Directions from the DPP are required and a decision has yet to be made as to whether the case will remain in the Children’s Court or instead be sent forward to the Circuit Court, which has tougher sentencing powers.