A teenager boy who stabbed a youth in the back and punctured his lung during a vicious street brawl in Dublin has avoided a custodial sentence and a criminal record.
The 17-year-old, who cannot be identified because he is a minor, had previously pleaded guilty at the Dublin Children's Court to assault causing harm and producing a weapon during an offence. He was aged 15 at the time and paid €1,000 compensation to his victim as directed by Judge Paul Kelly, who noted today that the boy completed a restorative justice programme under the direction of the Probation Service.
The programme aims to divert first-time offenders from crime and engages suitable candidates in exploring the impact on victims and the opportunity to show remorse and make reparations. Judge Kelly applied the Probation of Offenders Act, sparing the teenager a recorded conviction and a custodial sentence.
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Earlier, Detective Colin Fitzpatrick said that the incident happened in north Co. Dublin on August 15, 2022, after another teenage boy left a train station, followed by three or four youths. The boy rang the injured party because he feared they would rob him of his Canada Goose coat.
His friend, the victim, arrived and "a large fight broke out". The victim was 16, and the attacker was 15 at the time. The accused was "the main aggressor", throwing punches and kicks. Detective Garda Fitzpatrick said that the injured party picked up a pipe to defend himself.
At this point, the accused pulled out a knife from his trousers and "took a wild swing at the injured party" and then "stabbed him in the back as he was falling to the ground". The victim, who did not have to attend the hearing, suffered a punctured lung and bleeding into his chest cavity, and he was hospitalised for 11 days.
The court heard he made a full recovery but was left with a small scar. Judge Kelly noted that the attacker, accompanied to the proceedings by his mother, fully cooperated with the investigation and made full admissions.
Detective Garda Fitzpatrick played CCTV footage in court. He had agreed with defence solicitor Brian Keenan that his client had no prior convictions.
He and his mother had also offered to apologise to the victim through the garda several times. Mr Keenan pleaded with the judge not to send the case forward to the Circuit Court, which has broader sentencing powers. Mr Keenan said the boy was "remorseful and ashamed," had not come to further attention, and had found employment.
The teen claimed he had been carrying the knife because he had been attacked previously in an unrelated incident.
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