Father slams suspended sentence for son's attacker

A father whose son was left with a potentially serious eye injury has spoken out in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on "the injustice of the sentencing of his attacker" who wasn’t sent to jail.

Gavin McGregor (aged 21), of Coultry Road, Ballymun received a three year suspended sentence from Judge Frank O’Donnell after he admitted taking part in "a vicious attack" on Mr Albert Geraghty on Shangan Road, Ballymun, on June 11, 2003 which left him with a temporary loss of sight in his right eye and lacerations to his head.

"That man should be going down for what he did to my son," Mr Geraghty’s father told Judge O’Donnell: "This is not a court of law."

McGregor pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Mr Geraghty and was ordered by Judge O’Donnell to pay a total of €5,400 in compensation, €2,000 of which was put together by McGregor’s grandfather and the rest he is to pay in 17 monthly instalments of €200.

The sentence was suspended for five years on condition that he keep the peace and be of good behaviour for that time.

Judge O’Donnell took into account Mr Geraghty’s victim impact report which said that he "was extremely angry" and "had shut himself away from the world". He no longer socialises and said that his eyesight will never be the same again. He added that the assault had ruined his life.

A medical report said that Mr Geraghty had "multiple lacerations to his scalp" and had temporarily lost the sight in his eye but it has since returned.

Judge O’Donnell said he also took into consideration that McGregor had stayed out of trouble for the last four years and had engaged positively with his local youth service.