Man sentenced to five years for assault

A Chinese national who was in Cork to learn English was seriously assaulted by two men who knocked him to the ground and kicked him in the head during a protracted assault and today one of the culprits was jailed for five years.

Ross Stapleton, aged 20, of no fixed address pleaded guilty to the charge of assault causing harm to Ji Zhang at Grattan Hill, Cork, on February 13 2002.

Stapleton who has previous convictions for crimes of violence addressed Cork Circuit Court briefly before he was sentenced.

“I want to apologise to the courts and apologise to the Chinese fella, and apologise to the young fella I got into trouble, he was only 16,” Stapleton said.

The other assailant was not before the court today.

Judge Sean O’Donnabhain said, "This was quite a vicious and unprovoked assault on an unsuspecting Chinese national trying to find a place to live in this city. I cannot ignore the violence you visited gratuitously on another person."

Detective Sergeant Gerard O’Mahony who investigated the case said of Stapleton, "He has a history of violence and he has no comprehension of the affect of his violence on other people."

At about 7pm on February 13 2000, Mr Zhang was at Grattan Hill to look at accommodation. He was set upon by Stapleton and another person.

He was knocked to the ground and beaten and kicked while on the ground. He was robbed of what was in his pocket, including €10 in his wallet.

The victim made a number of attempts to escape but he was pursued and set upon again. It continued from Grattan Hill to the Lower Glanmire Road.

Eventually he did escape but he was dazed and traumatised when the gardaí encountered him. Gardai arrested Stapleton a short time later.

The accused co-operated with the investigation and admitted what he did.