Student gets suspended sentence for assault on witness to row with girlfriend

A catering student has received a suspended prison sentence for beating up a passerby who tried to break up a row between him and his girlfriend.

The row between Emmet Prizeman (22) and his then partner began inside a nightclub on Harcourt Street in Dublin city where they had been drinking.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that the dispute spilled out onto the street where Stephen Merchant attempted to intervene.

CCTV footage captured Prizeman punching Mr Merchant once and the victim falling quickly to the ground. Prizeman then kicked the victim twice while he was on the ground, Aideen Collard BL, prosecuting, told the court.

Judge Patricia Ryan noted that the victim was struck on the head while on the ground.

When gardaí­ arrived at the scene the victim, a professional referee who was visiting from England, was moving in and out of consciousness. He was brought to hospital by ambulance but made a full recovery since.

A garda witness said that Prizeman was lucky the injuries were not more serious. A victim impact statement, prepared earlier, was submitted but not read out in court.

Prizeman, of Primrose Grove, Darndale, Dublin, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm on May 24th, 2017.

Elva Duffy BL, defending, said her client has no previous convictions and this attack was completely out of character.

He is studying catering and a teacher from his college gave a character reference to say he was shocked by the crime. This teacher said he had never seen Prizeman lose his temper even in the pressurised environment of a working kitchen.

Judge Ryan set a headline sentence of three years but reduced this to 18 months after taking into consideration the mitigating factors of his guilty plea, lack of convictions and good work record.

She suspended the sentence on condition he keep the peace for two years and engage in victim and offence focused work with the Probation Service.