Two men who assaulted a former heroin addict during an anti-drugs campaign will be sentenced today by the Special Criminal Court.
Ronald Byrne and Stephen Carney pleaded guilty last Friday to assaulting Mr Alan Byrne (26), of Basin Street flats, Dublin, occasioning him actual bodily harm, in Dublin on May 14th, 1996.
The two men changed their pleas and admitted committing violent disorder in Dublin on the same date after they were rearraigned on the fifth day of their trial for the manslaughter of Josie Dwyer (41), at Basin Lane in Dublin's south inner city.
Byrne (40), of Cremona Road, Ballyfermot and Carney (24), of Dolphin House, Rialto were remanded until today.
Det Insp Declan Coburn told the court yesterday that Carney is currently serving an eight-year sentence for his part in the attempted robbery of a security van outside Ashford, Co Wicklow in May 1998, when gardai shot dead a "Real IRA" man.
He said the State Pathologist, Dr John Harbison, found that Mr Dwyer died from a ruptured spleen but because of his medical condition it would not have required much force to cause the injury.
Det Insp Coburn said that Ronald Byrne had five previous convictions and Carney had seven.
Cross-examined by Mr Hugh Hartnett SC, for Carney, he agreed that Dr Harbison had found that the injuries to Mr Dwyer were not consistent with a heavy beating.