A YOUTH IS facing sentence for attacking a Garda sergeant on Dublin’s Henry Street.
The 16-year-old boy pleaded guilty at the Dublin Children’s Court to assault causing harm to the officer on 18 June last.
Garda Sergeant Adrian Kinsella said there were difficulties among a crowd watching a street performance.
He said his colleague spoke to the busker and asked to see his permit when the boy and another youth attempted to intervene.
They were not connected to the busker and were directed by the garda sergeant to move on at which the boy turned but on leaving he said “fuck yourself” to the sergeant.
The youth pulled the garda’s bicycle helmet over his face and punched him in the head. Both fell to the ground and the boy got on top of the sergeant and continued to punch him in the face and head area.
The garda then restrained the teenager. A medical report was furnished to the court and Judge John O’Connor noted that the sergeant recovered from his injuries.
Defence counsel Damian McKeone put it to the witness that the attacked garda said in his statement that he had been punched just twice.
However, Garda Sergeant Kinsella disagreed and said that he had seen CCTV footage which showed his colleague was punched a number of times.
He did not agree that the youth had complied with the direction to leave the area because he did do so in a peaceful manner.
The teenager had one prior criminal conviction for violent disorder for which he was placed on probation for 12 months in February last year.
The court heard he is attending a youth drug and alcohol treatment service.
Judge O’Connor said an attack like this was very serious and he adjourned sentencing for four weeks to allow time for a probation report on the youth to be furnished to the court.
The teen, who did not address the court, was accompanied to court by his mother and remains on bail.
His co-defendant, another 16-year-old boy, is due back in court later this month to indicate how he will plead.
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