Girl, 15, subjected to ‘summary justice’

A 15-year-old girl was subjected to a vicious hiding in a daylight brawl in what a judge described as a disturbing attempt at "summary justice".

The teenager was punched and kicked in an incident that took place near the railway station in Limerick city two years ago.

Mark Mulqueen, aged 45, John Lysaght, aged 25, Sarah O’Neill aged 23, and Teresa O’Neill, aged 29, who are all from the Prospect area of Limerick City, pleaded guilty at Limerick Circuit Court to engaging in violent disorder on Davis St, Limerick, on May 6, 2013.

After hearing the evidence in the case, Judge Tom O’Donnell said it must have been “an absolutely frightening” experience for anyone who witnessed two men walking down the street, one of whom was armed with a bat.

John O’Sullivan, prosecuting, described how Mulqueen “procured “the services of his nephew, Lysaght, to get revenge on a number of people who had taken his phone during an earlier altercation which had taken place with a large group of youths on Parnell St”.

Lysaght had a bat in his hand as he walked along Davis St and approached the victim, who was on the street with up to 20 youths, the court heard.

Teresa O’Neill, who was carrying a child’s toy baton from a child’s police set, also arrived at the scene along with her sister, Sarah O’Neill, and were told by John Lysaght to go and “get the little tramp”.

The O’Neill sisters, along with another woman, then all went to attack the girl and began punching and hitting her with the toy stick.

Mulqueen then grabbed the 15-year-old girl by the hair and started to punch her and kick her before taking her phone, the court heard.

Lysaght was also present, shouting and roaring and holding the wooden leg of a table which had been modified to look like a bat.

The victim suffered cuts to her head, arm and back but didn’t require medical attention.

John O’Sullivan said the attack was an “alarming incident” which took place in broad daylight in a busy thoroughfare and directly across the road from a busy train station.

Garda CCTV cameras had “crystal-clear” evidence of the incident, which lasted around 40 seconds.

After hearing the evidence, Judge O’Donnell said it was a disturbing event and referred to the manner in which the “troops were rallied” and a 15-year-old girl had been isolated and given a “hiding”.

“The manner in which this summary justice was meted out is also a disturbing feature,” he added.

Brian McInerney, defence counsel for Mulqueen, said his client had overreacted following an earlier incident in which his phone was taken.

He said he had “lost the head and wished to apologise to the young victim and the people of Limerick”.

Laurence Gouchier, defending Lysaght, said his client was ashamed of himself for not doing more to stop the event, particularly as a young woman was involved.

Judge O’Donnell adjourned sentencing in the case until October 20.