Four Cork men appeared in Cork District Court yesterday following an assault on a student which has left him on a life-support system for over a year.
A student at Cork Institute of Technology, Mr Denis Franklin, of Pallasgreen, Co Limerick, suffered serious head injuries when he was the victim of an attack in Cork city in the early hours of February 17th, 2002.
Yesterday Mr Ian Cronin (20), Douglas, Mr Alan Harte (20), Togher, Mr Robert Carlile (21), Douglas, and Mr William St Ledger (20), Douglas, all Cork, were charged with assault causing serious harm to Mr Franklin.
It is alleged that Mr Franklin was assaulted at Kift's Lane on Grand Parade, contrary to Section 4 of the Non Fatal Offences against the Person Act, 1997.
Insp Con Cadogan told Judge Uinsinn MacGruairc that gardaí had no objection to the four defendants getting bail, but that they were anxious that the bail would include substantial independent sureties and a number of conditions.
The court also heard that the Director of Public Prosecutions had directed that the case be tried by judge and jury at Circuit Court level and not summarily at District Court. The four will appear again on May 28th.