Three women whom Judge Donagh McDonagh said acted "like mad dogs" when setting another woman's hair on fire have been each jailed for two years.
Antoinette Geoghegan (18), Cushlawn Park, Tallaght, Martina O'Connor (18), Birchview Heights, Tallaght and Jennifer Melia (26), Airlie Heights, Lucan, pleaded guilty to assault on October 17th, 2003, causing harm to Rhona Brady who was on crutches then.
Geoghegan and O'Connor also pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to robbing Pauline Costello on October 10th, 2003.
Judge McDonagh said: "When I heard the evidence in this case I described all three as 'bullies and thugs' and I cannot see any reason why I should change my view." He described their attack as "appalling behaviour of the worst kind" and said he could not see "any reason to distinguish between them".
O'Connor had 72 previous convictions since she was 16 years old, Melia four and Geoghegan had one previous conviction for robbery.
Garda Liam O'Donoghue told Dominic McGinn BL, prosecuting, that the women interrupted Ms Brady's conversation with two male friends on O'Connell Street, commenting: "You think you're all that, don't you?"
Melia removed the victim's cap, and handed it to Geoghegan and an independent witness said that "a girl wearing a nose stud" then set fire to Ms Brady's hair.
The fire was quickly extinguished but Melia and Geoghegan pulled Ms Brady's hair and dragged her to the ground. One of her friends stopped the assault by striking at them .
Garda O'Donoghue said O'Connor was the only one of the three with a stud in her nose, although she denied setting fire to the victim's hair.
Garda Gavin Ross told Marie Torrens BL, prosecuting, that when Ms Costello left her home to celebrate her 18th birthday, O'Connor told her she smelt like a "whore" and "would get pregnant dressed like that".
Geoghegan and O'Connor then pulled Ms Costello's hair but she escaped. They chased after her and robbed her handbag which contained €100, her mobile phone and passport.
Senior counsel Tim O'Leary (with Sinead McMullen BL), defending, said O'Connor was then only 16 and she had, "to put it mildly", a difficult family background.
Una Ní Raifeartaigh BL, defending, pleaded there would be no one to care for Geoghegan's daughter if she went into custody.
Pádraig Dwyer BL, defending, said the father of Melia's eight-year-old child had been shot dead some time ago. The child has a physical disability following a car accident both mother and child were involved in.