Teen attacked Pakistani national with rake in 'totally unprovoked' attack
A Pakistani national was beaten across his head and face with a garden rake by a 14-year-old boy during an unprovoked attack in Dublin last year, a court heard today.
The now 15-year-old boy pleaded guilty at the Dublin Children's Court to assault causing harm to the man, who is in his 30s, at the South Circular Road, on June 17 last year.
Garda Mark Bolger told Judge Ann Ryan that the man had been going home from work when the boy and three other teenagers approached him.
The boy “was carrying a garden rake which he used to strike this man in the face”.
Gda Bolger went on to say that the man was beaten about his face and head by the boy as well as the three other youths. He described the attack as “totally unprovoked” and said the man suffered superficial injuries.
“It is unclear how many times he was hit,” Gda Bolger also said adding that it was believed that the boy “instigated” the attack.
Two witnesses intervened and may have prevented the man from receiving more serious injuries, the court heard.
The court was told that the man went into shock after the attack and declined medical attention because “he did not want to make a fuss”.
Gda Bolger spoke to him recently and said the man had not realised at the time the seriousness of what had happened to him or how the situation could have developed.
Judge Ann Ryan heard that the boy, who was accompanied to his hearing by his father, was out of school. He had no prior criminal convictions but is awaiting sentence for another offence and a probation report has already been requested.
The Probation and Welfare Service are to focus on getting the teenager back into education, the court was told.
In court, the boy said he was sorry, which the judge accepted.
She remanded the boy to appear again in July for a pre-sentence probation report to be furnished to the court. She also asked for a victim impact statement to be obtained.
Another 15-year-old boy has pleaded not guilty to possessing an iron bar as a weapon during the incident and is due to face a hearing at the Children's Court next month.
Meanwhile another boy, who was aged 13 at the time of the attack, was remanded on continuing bail.
He is now aged 14 and also accused of assault causing harm to the man.
In light of his age, special directions from the DPP have to be obtained to determine whether his prosecution is to proceed.
