A FATHER WAS beaten up by youths in front of his daughter on a Dublin street, racially abused and made to apologise after giving out to a boy who squirted him with water, a court has heard.

A 16-year-old boy was found guilty of assault causing harm to the Chinese man on a busy street in the city centre’s north side on 6 December 2021.

He had denied the charge claiming self-defence and that he was protecting his little brother, who had used a water gun before the incident, which “escalated” into a gang attack.

CCTV footage showed the boy repeatedly punching him while his teenage daughter stood close by.

He admitted that he hit the victim up to seven times before the others joined in, dragged the man along railings, and rained blows and kicks to his head and body.

Garda Ciara Burke told the court that the man had a swollen eye, bloody face, and blood coming from his nose when he arrived at Store Street station minutes after the incident.

The victim reported that he had spoken to a young boy who sprayed him with a water gun, but the accused became racially abusive and hit him before “a whole load of youths became involved”.

Afterwards, they followed him and “made him apologise” or they would not leave him alone.

Garda Burke obtained CCTV footage from the scene and arrested the boy after overhearing him telling a person about the incident three days later. The teen told her, “I just swung until he backed off,” the court heard.

In evidence, the victim recalled telling the defendant’s brother, who squirted him, “Stop it”, and he put his hands out but not him.

He was worried for his daughter and tried to walk away, but the accused started hitting him. Then, he said, “Some guys came across the road and hit me really bad. I was covered by my hat, so I did not see anything, and they kept hitting me; one guy hit me really bad.”

He agreed with State solicitor Mairead White that they made him apologise afterwards, telling the man, “If you don’t say sorry, we won’t let you go”.

The teen claimed in court that the victim had put his hand on his little brother and started giving out. So he went to defend him.

He alleged the man came at him and kicked him, and he claimed he was using self-defence but backed off and kept his distance when the incident escalated.

In cross-examination, the prosecution put to him that he would have pulled his brother away if he had been protecting him.

Defence solicitor Michael Byrne submitted that his client had an “instinctive reaction” to defend his brother.

Convicting him, however, Judge Kelly held that the teen acted aggressively, not defensively.

He adjourned sentencing for a victim impact statement to be obtained and for a probation report on the accused.

The teen, who cannot be identified because he is a minor, was remanded on continuing bail.