Reward offered after vicious assault

EVERY day, twice a day, Mary O’Brien visits her son. She holds his hand, talks to him, comforts him and prays in hope.

Vincent, however, doesn’t know who she is. He has only spoken once since he was viciously assaulted last August in Bluebell, south Dublin.

“He asked ‘what has me here’ and ‘what happened?’ They are the first and last words he ever said,” Mary said.

Vincent, aged 41 and a separated father, was severely brain-damaged when at least three men subjected him to a violent and unprovoked attack on August 18.

“His life was over when he went down Huband Road,” said Mary.

“He’s critically brain-damaged. He would never be able to walk again. He has no quality of life and will need 24-hour care.”

Mary, whose husband died five years ago, has not missed a day visiting him since then.

“It’s very hard to go looking at your son lying there. I just visit him all the time hoping and praying something might come out of it for him. I hold his hand, comb his hair, wipe his face down, talk to him.

“But he doesn’t recognise anyone that’s there. He keeps squinting at me, like ‘who are you’?”

Despite two previous appeals for information, investigating gardaí have received little help from the public.

Yesterday, they tried for a third time in a joint campaign with Crimestoppers, which is offering a cash award for information.

“Crimestoppers is guaranteeing total anonymity to anyone who calls 1800 250025,” said director Yvonne Hyland. “There is a substantial cash reward for valuable information that leads to a prosecution.”

Superintendent Eddie Quirke, who is leading the investigation, said Mr O’Brien was attacked by at least three Irish males, aged in their late 20s.

“There are indications there was some local involvement. We are confident there is information out there in the greater Bluebell area,” he said.

* Anyone with information should ring Crimestoppers on 1800 250025 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666111.