Council worker broke teen's nose

A council worker who broke a teenage boy’s nose in the mistaken belief he had sexually assaulted his 13-year-old daughter has been ordered to carry out 100 hours community service in lieu of a prison sentence.

Maurice Rooney (aged 46), Hampton Green, Balbriggan pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting the 16-year-old victim causing him harm on January 13, 2005.

Judge Katherine Delahunt told him: "I am satisfied that the community and the State would not be served by imposing a custodial sentence."

Judge Delahunt imposed 100 hours community service to be completed within 12 months in lieu of 18 months imprisonment. Rooney paid €2,000 to his victim to cover his medical expenses.

Garda Thomas Hardiman told Ms Caroline Cummings BL, prosecuting, that Rooney’s 13-year-old daughter had been "playacting" with the boy who kicked her "bum" while she was walking along.

Rooney’s other daughter later complained to him that the boy had attacked her sister and he took this to mean that the victim had sexually attacked her.

Gda Hardiman said Rooney met the victim in a local shop and asked him whether he had "touched" his daughter, to which the teenager replied: "Fuck you and your daughter."

Rooney then punched him in the face and broke his nose which required surgery to reset it.

Gda Hardiman confirmed that Rooney’s 13-year-old daughter never made a complaint that the victim had in any way assaulted her.

Gda Hardiman accepted in cross-examination from Ms Caroline Biggs BL, defending, Rooney lost two children, a four and a five year old, during a house fire in 1989 and had suffered from depression since.

Rooney was unaware of what exactly had happened between the victim and his daughter but he knew that the incident had upset her. The assault was a once-off offence and he had not come to garda attention since.

Gda Hardiman also agreed that Rooney acknowledged he had acted inappropriately and overreacted and there was no further contact between him and the teenager.

Rooney had no previous convictions and gardaí accepted he was unlikely to come before the courts again.

Ms Biggs told Judge Delahunt that Rooney had been working with Dublin City Council for 26 years and this offence represented a "fall from grace".