Rugby player convicted on assault charges

A young rugby player who assaulted the 14-year-old son of a garda has been ordered to carry out 25 hours community service in lieu of three months imprisonment.

Rudi Vij (aged 18), of Glencairn Park, The Gallops, Sandyford, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting John Peters causing him harm on October 25, 2004.

Garda Patrick Collen said that following the assault on her son, Mrs Rose Peters told another garda it might have occurred as a result of her and her husband, Garda Jack Peters, throwing pebbles at the window of the house which they rented to Vij's parents.

Judge Katherine Delahunt said: "The parents might hang their heads in shame for involving their children in this dispute."

Judge Delahunt said Vij was "a young man with a lot to contribute" and imposed a community service order of 25 hours in lieu of three months imprisonment.

Garda Collen said gardaí had been called to the address two days before this incident when the Vij family had been disturbed in the night by their doorbell ringing, stones and eggs being thrown at their house and lighted fireworks being pushed through their letter box.

Garda Collen said that John Peters, his 13-year-old brother and a friend bought Halloween masks and sat on the front wall of the Vij residence.

Rudi Vij, who had been inside the house with his father and siblings came running out with a hockey stick and chased the two other boys. He then attacked John Peters with the stick, hitting him on the shoulder and back and punching him in the face.

The boys had an egg with them which they told gardaí they were going to throw against any wall for fun. Rudi Vij told gardaí that the boys had been behaving in a threatening manner and looked like they were about to throw something at his house.

Garda Collen said John Peters rang gardaí from his mobile and ran to a neighbouring house looking for help. The neighbour was reluctant to become involved as she had a new born baby in the house but eventually let John Peters in. She heard Rudi Vij shouting: "If you come near my f-ing house again I will kill you."

John Peters told Judge Delahunt that he now had a different view of people and had suffered sleepless nights since the assault. He said he had never been so frightened in his life as he was during the attack.

Mr Justin McQuade BL, defending, said Vij was "an impressive young man who knew right from wrong" but had "seen red" and "crossed the line". He had no previous convictions and was a successful rugby player who had represented Leinster and hoped to play at "the very highest level".

Mr McQuade said Vij had acted to protect his family who had been the victims of "low level harassment and threats" and that matters in relation to earlier events were the subject of allegations before the Garda Complaints Board.