A man who kicked a student on the ground during a near-riot, leaving him in a vegetative state, has been jailed for four years.
Mr Denis Franklin (22) lives in a nursing home as a result of the attack by Ian Cronin and a group of other young men. His complications have included pneumonia and blood clots, and he has needed numerous operations.
Cronin (21), a painter, from Shamrock Avenue, Douglas, Cork, pleaded guilty last October at Cork Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm to Mr Franklin.
During a two-hour sentencing hearing yesterday, Judge Patrick Moran heard that Mr franklin's future was bleak.
His parents, Josie and John, make a 46-mile round trip every night from their home in Pallasgreen, Co Limerick, to visit him at the home in Killaloe, Co Clare.
The court heard that Mr Franklin, a Cork Institute of Technology student, and his friend, Mr Rory O'Neill, were in Kift's Lane in Cork city at around 1.15 a.m. on February 17th, 2002. They were going from South Main Street to Grand Parade and got into a row with another person, but others joined in and beat the pair to the ground.
"They got up and were chased on to Grand Parade, where both were kicked and punched on the ground by the group. Rory O'Neill got up, but Denis Franklin was lying on the ground with blood coming out of his ear," Det Sgt Michael Fitzpatrick said.
He said a witness identified Cronin as kicking Mr Franklin viciously on Grand Parade. Cronin told gardaí he knocked Mr Franklin to the ground, three or four other people joined in, and he kicked him on the ground.
Det Sgt Fitzpatrick said that, before admitting his role, Cronin asked a number of witnesses to say he was wearing different clothes.
He asked his girlfriend to dispose of his jacket, but gardaí retrieved it and found Mr Franklin's blood on it.
Judge Moran said there was almost a riot on Grand Parade, in which only two unfortunate people were being attacked.
Imposing a four-year sentence, he said it was cowardly to kick someone on the ground and noted Cronin's previous conviction for an assault just five months before the attack on Mr Franklin.
"This was a very violent attack on Mr Franklin, quite a savage attack.
"I have a duty to look after the interests of society and to make sure young people can go out without fear of ending up in hospital," the judge said..
He jailed another young man, William St Leger (21), for nine months for his part in the same incident.
He had pleaded guilty to a charge of violent disorder. He was one of three men acquitted in March of assault causing harm to Mr Franklin after the trial judge directed the jury to find them not guilty.