Two youths who viciously kicked another man in the head as he lay on the ground following a row in a pub have received two years suspended sentences.
At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, Judge Frank O'Donnell also ordered Rory Conroy and Alan Connor to pay €5,000 each within seven days to Mr Sean Paul Ryan, who was savagely attacked following the incident in the Donaghmede Inn in September of last year.
Conroy (20), of Lentisk Lawn, Donaghmede, and Connor (20), from Ardara Avenue, Donaghmede, both pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to 21-year-old Mr Ryan on September 9th, 2001.
Sergeant Thomas Walsh told Ms Mary Rose Gearty BL, prosecuting, that Mr Ryan went to the pub that evening with friends and they joined a group of other young men, which included the two accused.
At some point during the evening there was a disagreement over a drink, which later escalated into fight. A few punches were thrown and Mr Ryan and a friend were asked to leave the pub by the bouncers. Conroy and Connor followed the two youths outside and a punch was thrown at Mr Ryan.
A passing bus driver described the fight as spilling out on to the road and traffic having difficulty getting around the group. He then said he saw Mr Ryan lying on the ground and the two accused continuously kicking him in the head as he lay motionless.
Conroy and Connor were arrested four days later and both admitted their involvement and showed remorse.
Mr Ryan spent eight days in hospital after fracturing his nose and also received a hairline fracture to his temple but thankfully there was no internal damage. He told gardaí that he didn't want his two assailants to be jailed because it would serve no purpose.
Judge O'Donnell said it was a most serious case and the consequences could have been fatal for Mr Ryan.
"A couple of mornings every week you turn on the radio to find out someone else has been kicked to death the previous night," he said. "How young people can go out and drink as much as these two accused had to drink and not expect to do damage to themselves or other people is beyond me."