Three youths challenged for drinking in a couple's front garden later carried out an attack which left the man with injuries and the woman facing a €4,950 bill for damage to her car, a court heard yesterday.
One of the youths, Patrick Walton (19), was described by the judge as an example of the problem of "thuggery on the streets" which has led to calls from the public for the courts to impose deterrent sentences.
Judge Gerard Haughton said he shared that view and he rejected a plea not to send Walton to prison because it was his first time before the courts and because he had a job as a van-driver's assistant. He put him into a custody for a week and said the amount of compensation he comes up with would have a bearing on the sentence he receives.
Walton had denied assaulting the householder or attacking the car. He claimed the householder had struck him under the eye with a baton and as a result he ran away from the scene.
Dublin District Court heard the attack happened near Walton's home on Lissadel Drive in Drimnagh on March 10th. The young couple arrived home to find three youths drinking in their garden. Words were exchanged and the youths left.
An hour and a half later the couple were woken by the sound of rocks being thrown at their front door and windows.
The householder grabbed a claw hammer and went out to the three youths, who hit him with nail-studded sticks, causing injuries to his arm and stomach. He said he used the hammer to defend himself but denied striking Walton with it.
He retreated inside and the youths began smashing up a Toyota car belonging to his fiancée, causing nearly €5,000 damage. He said Walton used a five-foot length of cast-iron pipe to smash the car.
Gardaí arrived about 45 minutes after the incident and went to Walton's home. He denied damaging the car and showed the gardaí a fresh mark under his eye, claiming he had been hit by the householder.
A friend of Walton's, Mark O'Reilly, who is currently appealing against a conviction for assault in relation to the same incident, said he and his friends were just standing around when the householder told them he would "kill" them if they did anything to the car. They ran away when the householder came out and struck Walton with a baton.
Judge Haughton said he would need "considerable convincing" not to impose a long prison sentence.