Man kicked teen ‘like a rag doll’

A man who killed a teen-ager over two years ago after he attacked, punched and kicked the 18-year-old “like a rag doll”, bouncing his head off a road several times following an unprovoked altercation, is to be sentenced on Friday.

Douglas Ward, aged 36, of Loughantarve, Knockbridge, Co Louth, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Niall Dorr, on Oct 13, 2010, at the Central Criminal Court on Oct 30.

State pathologist Marie Cassidy said Mr Dorr died on Oct 14, 2010, as a result of head trauma and a fracture to the skull which caused haemorrhaging. She noted a zigzag pattern on Mr Dorr’s forehead, which she concluded was “struck with an object of pattern such as a shoe in a stamping motion”.

Mr Dorr’s father David read out an victim impact report on behalf his family and said the ultimate result of Niall’s horrific injuries was that he died a lonely death on the streets of a town he loved so much.

He said Niall represented Ireland for several years at the world kickboxing championships. Even in his death Niall showed his consideration for others as he saved the lives of five people by donating his organs signing a donor card just three months earlier, he said.