Judge gives assailant 'one more chance'

A man who smashed a pint glass into a Bulgarian barman's head in a County Wicklow pub has been given one more chance by Judge Frank O'Donnell to avoid jail.

Neil Guerrine, who was 18 years old when he launched his savage attack on his victim who was trying to protect a customer being assaulted by a gang of drunken youths, failed to take up a place on the Tallaght Project arranged for him by the Probation Service.

Defence counsel, Ms Caroline Biggs BL, pleaded with Judge O'Donnell at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to give Guerrine one more chance. She said he had been working full time when offered the place and was worried that he would lose his job if on the course.

Judge O'Donnell said Guerrine had "many chances" since he was in court last, but "didn't even contact them with one phone call".

"He ignored them completely. There is a limit to the court's patience," he said.

Guerrine (aged 21), of Coolmore Park, Jobstown, Tallaght, pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Damien Byalkov causing him harm at The Blue Gardenier Pub in Blessington on November 12, 2005.

Detective Garda Evelyn Brosnan told Mr Cormac Quinn BL, prosecuting, that the victim was "extremely traumatised" by the assault which left him with a black eye and eight stitches to his head.

Judge O'Donnell said it was "offensive in the extreme" that hard working people who came here from other countries would be set upon by "thugs".

He said he would give Guerrine "just one more chance" and adjourned the case to February.

"If there is no commitment from you, you're going to jail," he told Guerrine.

Det Gda Brosnan said that a group of six young men and two women were drinking in the pub until a barman refused to serve them any further alcohol as the girls were too drunk.

The youths then went outside where they abused customers leading to an altercation.

When Mr Byalkov stepped in to protect a customer, two or three of the thugs jumped on him and punched him.

Guerrine then smashed a pint glass into Mr Byalkov's head and was later identified as the attacker by another member of staff.

Ms Biggs described the attack as "disgraceful". She said Guerrine had previously been of good character but came from a disturbed background.