Vigil held for Dublin pensioner left with head injuries after assault

A large group of people attended a vigil in Dublin’s north inner city on Monday night for pensioner Paddy Hansard following his assault at the weekend.

The 75-year-old was left with head injuries, including several bleeds on his brain, and a spinal injury due to the assault in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Mr Hansard is believed to have been thrown down stairs and hit with a shovel outside his flat at Courtney Place, Ballybough, Dublin 3.

He was returning from an evening socialising in a nearby pub and gardai believe he was attacked by a man from the locality.

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Gardaí are working on the theory Mr Hansard, and other locals, had previously appealed to the suspect to desist from having late night noisy gatherings at his home.

Gardai believe these appeals to the man were linked to the attack, which occurred at about 2am on Saturday.

Mr Hansard was taken by ambulance to the Mater Hospital, where his condition had stabilised.

The suspect in the case was arrested on Saturday afternoon and questioned by gardai. He has since been released without charge as a file was being prepared for the DPP.

On Monday night hundreds of people gathered at Courtney Place flats in what Cllr Nial Ring called a show of support for the injured man and his family, many of whom live in the community.

“There was a huge attendance at the candlelit vigil for Paddy Hansard,” said Cllr Ring, the former Lord Mayor of Dublin.

“The local community showed huge solidarity for the Hansard family and prayers were said for Paddy.”