A TEENAGER who smashed a glass in the face of another boy, leaving him permanently blind in his left eye, has been remanded on bail pending sentence.
Justin Cullinan (19) claimed that he threw a pint glass at the then 16-year-old because he perceived himself to be under threat. He denied that he had actually punched the victim with it.
The two teenagers were among a large group of youths who were celebrating their mid-term break in a city-centre nightclub. There had been “an atmosphere of tension” as there had been a rugby match that day between two Dublin schools and there had been rivalry between the two teams.
Cullinan, of Knocklyon Mews, Templeogue, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to the teenager on February 8th, 2008.
He has no previous convictions and has not come to Garda attention since.
Judge Katherine Delahunt adjourned the case to next March and ordered a probation report after describing the offence as “most serious”.
Det Garda Brian Sheerin told Shane Costelloe, prosecuting, the assault was so serious that an incident room was set up and more than 300 statements were taken during the course of the investigation. The majority of those witnesses were underage and had been attending an over-18s nightclub.
He said the victim went upstairs in the nightclub and noted that a school friend was surrounded by a group of four boys from another school. There were raised voices, so he turned around to see if there was a space that he could move back to, to avoid the situation.
Det Garda Sheerin said it was at this stage that the glass was smashed in his face.
The victim was taken to the eye and ear hospital in south Dublin city, were he underwent surgery.
Det Garda Sheerin said that Cullinan was later arrested and accepted that he had struck the teenager, but claimed that he had thrown the glass rather than physically smashed it in his face.
He said he thought “something was going to happen” and felt that he had behaved in an appropriate manner to defend himself.
Det Garda Sheerin said a medical report before the court concluded that the victim’s left eye is permanently blind and the prognosis for “further visual recovery” in it is very poor. He will need ongoing surgery.
A victim impact report, prepared by a clinical psychologist, stated that the teenager feels angry about the assault and it is something he will have to deal with for the rest of his life. He also feels very protective of his parents and did not want them to worry about him.
Det Garda Sheerin agreed with Luan Ó Braonáin, defending, that there had been an “atmosphere of tension” that night due to the rugby match and that this assault had not been the only incident at the nightclub. He further accepted that during Garda interview Cullinan had apologised for his actions.
Mr Ó Braonáin said his client wished to offer his sincere apologies to the victim and his family.
He asked the court to take into account his client’s “unblemished character” and said that he was about to start a course in sales and marketing.