A Ballyfermot man who left a Lithuanian in a "vegetative state" following "an unprovoked, savage and unwarranted attack" has been jailed for seven years.
Kevin Dunne (19), Ballyfermot Drive, Dublin, pleaded guilty at the Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting Vytautas Sukys (48), and to assaulting Sigitas Ziezdrys (23), on the bank of the Royal Canal, Phibsboro, on September 25th, 2004.
The court heard that Mr Sukys, a pilot, had been left in a coma for almost five months after the attack by Dunne and other men after they asked him for a can of beer. Mr Sukys's face had to be reconstructed after most of the bones were broken. He was left with no quality of life, not being able to walk or talk, or do anything for himself.
Mr Sukys had been the sole financial support of his wife and son and decided in October 2003 to move to Ireland where he hoped to earn enough as a landscape gardener to allow his family to follow him.
Mr Sukys's wife immediately came to Ireland to be with her husband following the assault, but she had no financial support from the State and was totally reliant on charity to survive.
Judge Hogan described Mr Sukys's victim impact report as "harrowing reading", noting that Dunne's kicks to his head left him brain damaged. The court heard that Mr Sukys had just left an off-licence with his friend Mr Ziezdrys and was walking along the canal bank when a group of youths approached them asking for some beer. Mr Sukys tossed a can to the group at which point two of them attacked him.
Mr Sukys received a blow to the head and fell to the ground, unable to defend himself.
Witnesses said that Dunne kicked his face and head eight to 10 times. Mr Ziezdrys was also attacked and left with a broken nose. Dunne also pleaded guilty along with a co-accused, Michael Rae (18), Kippure Park, Finglas, to assaulting a French student on April 24th, 2004. Judge Hogan sentenced Dunne to two years in prison for the attack. He sentenced Rae to two years, with 12 months suspended.