‘LIFE -CHANGING’ | 

Teen (18) left man in critical condition after ‘random’ one-punch attack, court told

Scott Cahill (18) is accused of attacking the man after he “took a dislike” to him.

Andrew Phelan

Today at 16:31

A MAN is in a critical condition with potentially life-changing head injuries following an alleged “unprovoked and random” one-punch assault on a Dublin street, a court heard.

Scott Cahill (18) is accused of attacking the man after he “took a dislike” to the way he was looking at him as he walked past in the incident on Wednesday.

The alleged victim left hospital before he was treated but was found unresponsive in a nearby garden and discovered to have a fractured skull and brain bleed.

Mr Cahill, of St James Road Walkinstown, is charged with assault causing harm to the man on June 21.

Judge Maire Conneely granted him bail despite garda objections at Dublin District Court, and adjourned the case to September.

Outlining the allegations, Garda Mark Dennehy said the accused was walking with two women at Cook Street, Dublin 8 at 615pm on the day.

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The alleged victim (48) was sitting by himself on the same street as Mr Cahill passed and, according to gardai, the accused “took a dislike” to the way the man was looking at him.

It was alleged he took the man’s backpack and attempted to throw it into a tree. When he tried to retrieve it, it was alleged Mr Cahill punched the man in the head, causing him to fall to the ground.

The accused then left the man lying unconscious on the ground and went away from the area, Gda Dennehy said.

The alleged victim was taken by ambulance to St James’s Hospital but later left before he was treated.

He was then found unresponsive in the front garden of a house on South Circular Road, close to the hospital entrance.

The man was brought back to the hospital where it was discovered that he had a bleed on the brain and a fractured skull.

He was brought to Beaumont Hospital for emergency surgery and remained in a critical condition in the Intensive Care Unit today.

Gardai believed further serious charges could be brought in the case.

The court heard the accused was “tracked” on CCTV evidence on Cook Street, although the video did not capture the incident itself.

An independent witness provided a detailed account of the alleged assault and a description of the accused.

When Mr Cahill was arrested at Bridge Street, Dublin 8 yesterday, he was wearing the same distinctive clothing, Gda Dennehy said.

Gardai believed if the accused was granted bail he could attempt to interfere with witnesses, and gardai had not yet located or interviewed the women he was with on the day.

“The assault would appear to be completely unprovoked and random,” Gda Dennehy said.

“The (injured party’s) prognosis is not optimistic, the gardai have been informed he may be left with life-changing injuries even if his condition was to improve,” he said.

Applying for bail, defence barrister Gareth Casey said Mr Cahill was presumed innocent and would spend a long time in custody if refused bail.

He did not know the independent witness so there was no issue of potential intimidation. His girlfriend was one of the women he was with.

The accused had said to gardai this was “not a completely unprovoked and random assault,” Mr Casey said.

Judge Conneely granted bail, with conditions that the accused signs on daily at Crumlin garda station, observes a night time curfew and surrenders his passport.

He is to stay out of the Dublin 8 area and have no contact with any witnesses.