THE father of 16-year-old refugee who was savagely beaten by youths with hurleys thought it would be safer to leave Limerick and return to the war-torn Middle Eastern country he was exiled from.
During the sentence hearing of a 17-year-old boy who admitted attacking the youth in Limerick in May of last year, Judge Tom O’Donnell was told that the victim had only arrived in Ireland 12 days before he was viciously attacked
Detective Garda Shane Ryan said that on the evening of the attack, the victim was outside his house playing with his younger siblings when the accused and another youth walked towards them carrying hurleys.
The attackers had encountered the victim earlier and verbally abused him, but upon seeing him outside his home, they gave chase after the boy fled.
When the victim ran into a dead-end laneway, his attackers threw a rock at him knocking him to the ground. They then hit him with the hurleys while he lay defenceless on the ground and he lost consciousness.
A neighbour, who heard the commotion, came to the assistance of the injured boy and walked him home and told to his father what had happened.
Gardai were alerted and used CCTV footage to identify the attackers.
The 17-year-old teen, who turns 18 next month, was arrested and although he admitted the assault, he fabricated a story alleging that the victim had a knife.
Gardaí later established this to be untrue.
Bail was refused but subsequently granted at the High Court. He was later arrested in connection with other offences and has been in custody since last November.
As a result of the attack, the boy was hospitalised and treated for serious injuries to his head, shoulder and chest.
The boy, who is the eldest of three non-English speaking children, was helped by his father to write a victim impact statement outlining that he was in fear of being attacked and beaten again.
The boy’s father said that he doesn’t let his children out to play anymore.
The statement explained that the family left their home in the Middle East as their father feared for their safety, but now he feared for their safety in Limerick where he had been seeking refuge.
The court heard that gangs still “hang around outside the house and throw stones”.
Det Gda Ryan said that it was “hard to imagine a more vulnerable young man”, adding that the family would like to move but were unable to do so due to “financial constraint”.
The teenage accused, who can not be named by order of the court, also pleaded guilty to another assault at Debenhams in December of last year after an exchange of words with another youth. He punched the victim, knocking him out and fracturing his cheekbone.
The court also heard the extensive details of a 34 charge crime spree where the 17-year-old damaged and robbed from cars in an underground car park.
He also burgled apartments and stole cars after taking the keys during a number of home raids.
Defence counsel Lorcan Connolly said that the teenager wanted to “reiterate his remorse and to assure that there will be no afters”.
His troubled personal circumstances were also outlined to the court including his battle with addiction to prescription medication.
A probation report was submitted to the court, but Judge O’Donnell said that there were “aspects of this case he found most disturbing” as he adjourned sentencing to October 28.
