Man charged with assaulting Dublin Bus driver in ‘vicious and random’ city centre attack

A man attacked a Dublin Bus driver with a metal implement in a “vicious”, random and unprovoked assault in the city centre, it is alleged.

Ionut Christian Bariz (39) is accused of striking the 63-year-old man on the head from behind with the weapon, then punching him to the ground as he walked home from work on a crowded street in the middle of the day.

The accused was “caught red-handed” when a passing Garda saw what happened and intervened, a court heard.

Judge John Brennan refused him bail and remanded him in custody when he appeared in Dublin District Court.

Mr Bariz, from Romania and of no fixed address, is charged with assault causing harm to the driver and possession of an article intended to cause injury.

Objecting to bail, Garda Katherine Ward said the driver was making his way home from work at Beresford Place at 2pm yesterday after finishing a shift when he was “randomly assaulted”.

He was struck on the back of the head with a “metal article approximately 12 inches in length” and before he could register this had occurred, he was punched on the head from behind, causing him to fall to the ground.

A Garda on patrol nearby witnessed the alleged assault and exited his patrol vehicle, Gda Ward continued.

The accused dropped the metal implement and Gardaí used incapacitant spray and arrested him “due to the level of aggression and violence in the assault witnessed.”

The accused was taken to Pearse Street Garda station where he made no reply to the charges after caution.

According to Gardaí, there was “no reason” for the accused to assault the driver, who was not known to him.

It was a “random attack on a busy street in the middle of the day with no regard for members of the public,” the Garda said.

The area was “highly populated” with residents and road traffic.

“It was only by good fortune that Gardaí were in the immediate area and intervened in the assault,” she said.

The alleged victim suffered swelling and pain to his head and neck but also suffered “significant mental distress” and was still “quite shook up” last night.

Gardaí believed the accused, who had only been in Ireland for three months, was a “serious flight risk” and had said he intended to leave Ireland in the immediate future.

Gardaí also feared he could commit offences if bailed.

Applying for bail, defence solicitor Eoin Lysaght said Mr Bariz had been working but had lost his job because he could not get a PPS number.

Judge Brennan said the charges were “very serious” and the alleged attack was a “quite vicious assault on a crowded street.” It was also alleged the accused was “effectively caught red-handed”.

He remanded the accused in custody to appear in Cloverhill District Court tomorrow. The judge also recommended appropriate medical assistance for the accused, at Mr Lysaght’s request.

Mr Bariz has not yet entered pleas to the charges.