Teenager awaits sentence for Temple Bar assault

A Dublin teenagerh is to be sentencednext month for an unprovoked attack on a man in Temple Bar.

The 17-year-old boy pleaded guilty at the Dublin Children’s Court to assault causing harm on August 15th. He alreadyhas 22 prior criminal convictions.

Garda Stephen Farrelly told Judge John O’Connor the teenager had been walking through Temple Bar Square with a “bottle of beer in his possession”.

He said the teenager dropped the bottle when he bumped into the victim.

The court heard the boy then attacked the man, striking him in the face, and inflicted bruises. On arrest the youth admitted what he had done, the court was told.

Judge O’Connor heard that the boy, who was accompanied to court by his parents, had a litany of public order convictions as well as others for assault, drug dealing, theft, robbery, possessing an implement for use in a theft, possessing stolen property, carrying an offensive weapon and criminal damage. He had been released on supervised probation in November.

Judge O’Connor asked the Probation Service to prepare a pre-sentence probation report and adjourned the case until March 2nd. He said hewill take into consideration the fact that the youth is currently being held in custody in relation to other charges.