Youth sentenced for attack on Finnish teen in Dublin

A youth has been given a six-month suspended sentence for his part in an unprovoked gang attack on a 16-year-old Finnish tourist in Dublin city centre.

The 16-year-old had pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to the young tourist, who was repeatedly punched and kicked during the attack at James's Walk, Dublin 1, on July 18, 2010.

Dublin Children's Court heard that the youth had no memory of the attack, which was captured on a CCTV camera, because he had been under the influence of drink and drugs.

Judge Bryan Smyth said that if the teenager, who has 23 criminal convictions, were an adult, he would have been detained. He also said a pre-sentence report showed that he had missed appointments with his probation officer and several days at a training course he was ordered to attend.

A probation officer also had concerns over the teen's awareness of how his offending effected others.

Defence counsel Kate O'Toole said that her client had been abusing drugs and alcohol at the time and no longer comes to regular garda attention. She also said he wanted to be let do a victim empathy course run by the Probation and Welfare Service.

Judge Smyth noted from a garda report that in recent weeks the youth, who was accompanied to his hearing by an uncle, has been “keeping his head down”.

He imposed a six-month sentence but suspended it on condition the teenager does not re-offend for the next year.

Garda Colin Hampson told the court that the victim had been sitting on a bench with his girlfriend. Four girls approached and asked for a cigarette and when the victim's girlfriend refused they began to attack her.

The Finnish boy tried to stop them at which point four youths attacked him leaving him with cuts to his face which required stitches.

Gda Hampson said that the 16-year-old defendant, “kicked him in the face once, returned several seconds later and punched him, twenty seconds later he threw an object at his head”.

The teenage accused had been put on probation and ordered to do community service last year for earlier offences including theft, trespassing and criminal damage.

Last year, two other youths, one of whom repeatedly smashed a can into the victim's face, were detained for their roles in the attack. A 17-year-old boy has yet to be sentenced for his part.