A Dublin man who stubbed a cigarette out on his 21/2-year-old son's tongue while severely assaulting him has been jailed for three years by Judge Elizabeth Dunne.
Mark Duggan (24), Northbrook Avenue, North Strand, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm on February 19th. Garda Lorraine Travers told Ms Orla Crowe, prosecuting, the incident happened early in the morning at his former girl friend's house in Donomore Avenue, Tallaght. Duggan was with her in the sitting room where she had fallen asleep along with their seven-month-old daughter who was in a pram beside her. When she woke, Duggan had left the house. She went upstairs to check on her son and found him in a state of distress. He had a cigarette burn on his tongue and extensive bruising to his left eye and across his right cheek. Small areas of bruising were found on the back of his head, his lower back and his penis. Multiple small bruises were also found on his thighs and legs.