Community service for man involved in hammer attack

A man who took part in a Dublin city centre attack in which two men were assaulted with a hammer and an iron bar has been ordered to carry out community service.

Dylan Murray (21) of Greenridge Court, Blanchardstown, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to one count of violent disorder on D'Olier Street on May 23rd, 2015.

A previous guilty plea to assault was withdrawn and would instead be taken into account, prosecution barrister Anne Rowland, BL, told the court.

Judge Petria O’Donnell imposed a nine-month sentence which she suspended on condition that Murray carries out 200 hours community service.

A bus driver filmed the attack on his mobile phone and this video footage was shown in court.

It showed Murray, along with three of his friends, attacking the victims, Lee Whelan and Dylan Campbell as the pair walked down the street.

Garda Wayne Donnelly told the court he was on patrol on the night in question when he saw a fight between a group of teenagers on D’Olier Street.

The court heard Murray and three of his co-accused, who cannot be named as they are still before the courts, were sitting in a parked car on D’Olier Street when a fight broke out between two young women known to the group.

Hammer

The men jumped out of the car and broke up the fight between the women, before turning on Mr Whelan and Mr Campbell, who happened to be walking by.

Mr Whelan was knocked to the ground during the assault, before two of Murray’s co-accused returned to the boot of the car and grabbed a hammer and an iron bar.

Mr Campbell was hit with the hammer while Mr Whelan was hit with the iron bar. He was in a semi-conscious state when Garda Donnelly came on the scene, the court heard.

An ambulance was called and both men were taken to hospital. Mr Whelan suffered a wound to the back of his head, while Mr Campbell also suffered a head wound and a hand injury which required surgery.

Neither gave victim impact reports.

Murray, who was aged 19 at the time of the offence, has a small number of previous convictions for road traffic offences and the unlawful seizure of a vehicle, Ms Rowland said.

Defence barrister Kenneth Kerins, BL, said Murray was a “peripheral character” in the fight. While the video footage showed him throwing punches, he did not arm himself with a weapon during the incident.

Defence counsel said Murray, who was accompanied in court by his father, had always had gainful employment since leaving school and currently worked in a city centre restaurant.

He lives with his mother and spends three or four nights a week with his grandparents, who are ill and in need of care. He has no drug or alcohol issues.

“He is not someone with a very chequered past,” Mr Kerins said. “He made a rash decision on this night (to involve himself) and it’s a rash decision that is going to cost him dearly.”