Boy barred from city centre after assault

A 16-year-old boy has been barred from Dublin city-centre after he was charged with attacking a young man who suffered serious facial injuries during an incident in Temple Bar.

The boy, who cannot be named because he is minor, was granted bail with strict conditions after he appeared at Dublin Children’s Court on Friday morning.

He is charged with assault causing harm to Andrew Cusack, 21, who was taken to St James’s Hospital to be treated for lacerations to his face following the alleged incident in the early hours of Monday at Dame Lane.

The case is to involve “an awful lot of CCTV as well”, Judge John O’Connor heard.

Mr Cusack is the son of Stephen Cusack, an expert on emergency medicine at UCC.

Garda Keith Connors told Judge O’Connor he arrested the boy at his west Dublin home at 7.50am on Thursday. He was brought to Pearse Street Garda Station where, at 8.50am, he was detained under the provisions of Section Four of the Criminal Justice 1984.

Gda Connors said the teen was released at 6.10pm at which point he was charged in the presence of his mother. Gda Connors said after the boy was cautioned “he made no reply to the charge”.

Gda Connors had no objection to bail subject to conditions and he asked for a six-week remand for directions from the DPP to be obtained. Defence solicitor David Stafford consented and said the bail terms had been canvassed and agreed in advance of the hearing.

The teen was ordered to stay out of Dublin 1 and Dublin 2 areas, to reside at his home and observe a curfew from 9pm to 8am daily, sign on three days a week at his local garda station, and to “abstain from alcohol and non-prescribed medication”.