Headbutter stunned by clash with titanium teeth

A talented young footballer who headbutted a teenager during an "argy-bargy" between two groups of youths was left shocked and injured because his victim had titanium teeth.

Kelvin Dennan (aged 19) played soccer "for both county and country" at schoolboy level. He was due to return for a second trial with English club Fulham but did not go back because his mother died of cancer.

Dennan, of Fairways Park, Finglas East, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault with intent to cause bodily harm to Mr Michael Donoghue and to assault causing Mr Ray Mongy harm at the Central Bank Plaza, Dame Street on May 14, 2006. He had no previous conviction.

Defence counsel, Mr Michael O'Higgins SC, said there was an element of "argy-bargy" between two groups that night and while Dennan's behaviour was "totally out of character" he was still "wrong and liable".

Judge Katherine Delahunt ordered a probation report and remanded on continuing bail for sentence later.

Judge Delahunt rejected a suggestion by Mr O'Higgins that Dennan needed more time to raise compensation and pointed out that it was 17 months since the incident. "Preparations would have been made long ago if he was genuine," she said.

Mr O'Higgins said Dennan had recently lost his job but had since secured a new position in a marketing company. He added that what might occur to a 30-year-old wouldn't occur so easily to a 19-year-old.

Garda Rebacca Deveney told prosecuting counsel, Ms Una Ni Raifeartaigh BL, it was unclear how the "fracas" broke out between two groups of young men.

Dennan was left with a cut to his nose after he headbutted Mr Donoghue, who had had his teeth replaced with titanium and covered with porcelain after being injured in an accident.

Garda Deveney said Mr Donoghue described Dennan as standing back amazed as if to say: "What the f*** was that?" after the attack had no effect on him (Mr Donoghue).

She said there was no suggestion that either Mr Donoghue or Mr Mongy had been the aggressors or that they received their injuries through acting in self defence.

She agreed with Mr O'Higgins that "a shouting match" broke out between the two groups and that Dennan's friends saw Mr Donoghue "fiddling with his zip" and asked him was he taking his coat off "to start on them". It was at that point that Dennan attacked him.

Mr O'Higgins asked Judge Delahunt to consider that the "level of malice" was not at the higher end of the scale and that Dennan was left injured rather than the victim.

He said his mother's death was "a very traumatic time" in his client's life because he was close to her but added that Dennan was "anxious" to point out that this didn't justify his actions.