Teen convicted of unprovoked attack on Spanish women

A 17-year-old boy has been found guilty at the Dublin Children’s Court of assaulting two Spanish students, who were punched kicked and dragged along the ground during an unprovoked attack.

The teenager, who is in care, had denied assaulting the two women, who are in their early 20s, and also pleaded not guilty to the theft of a mobile phone, at the Custom’s House Quays, in Dublin, on October 9 last.

His victims told the court the teen had been with two girls and another boy. A girl punched one of the Spanish women and then the other three joined in the attack.

“The boys took my friend away and threw her on the ground and started kicking her. Then they threw me on the ground and pulled me for about five minutes and began kicking and punching me,” one of the Spanish students said in evidence.

She told the court that during the attack her mobile phone was taken.

The teenager, who was accompanied to court by his social worker, was identified in court as being one of the attackers.

Garda Aidan Kelly of Pearse Street station said in evidence that he found the group of teenagers on Townsend Street and saw the boy discard the stolen mobile phone.

In evidence the boy rejected the allegations. He admitted being with the group involved but denied taking part in the attack or the theft of the phone. He said that he had attempted to pull his friends off the victims saying: “I wouldn’t hit a woman.”

He also denied that he had discarded the phone, saying that the object he was seen throwing away was a beer can.

Finding the boy guilty on all charges, Judge Ann Ryan said that she had no doubt from the identification evidence of both victims that he had been involved in the attack.

Defence solicitor Kelly Breen said the boy, who had no prior convictions, was in now care and had previously resided for a number of years in hostel accommodation for the homeless.

She also said the boy has commenced a job and was in a steady relationship with his girlfriend.

Judge Ryan said the attack was “an unpleasant experience. They are in this country probably for not a long time it is not a happy way to leave them in terms of how they perceive us to be”.

She remanded the teenager on bail for sentencing in February to allow time for a Probation Service report on him to be obtained.