Student accused of kicking man 14 times in the head refused permission to leave Ireland

Tom Tuite

A theatre student accused of severely injuring a French man who suffered 14 kicks to his head in Galway city centre has been refused permission to leave the State temporarily to visit his ill father.

Bryan Hughes, 42, of Lower Salt Hill Road, Galway, was charged with causing serious harm to the man, who is in his 20s, on June 11th, last year on Dominick Street.

He had been allowed bail with conditions but brought an application to the High Court in Cloverhill, Dublin, to let him return to Canada for two weeks to see his father.

Mr Justice Paul Burns heard that the accused had dual Canadian and Irish citizenship. He came to Ireland three years ago and wished to remain to allow him travel.

The court heard he had been employed as a waiter but had completed an education programme, worked in the arts and obtained a place on a theatre course.

Mr Justice Burns heard the accused had been served with a book of evidence last week and was returned for trial to appear at Galway Circuit Criminal Court on October 7th next.

Mr Hughes said he was concerned he would not see his father, who has stage-four dementia, again, and his family would lodge €5,000 from his father's estate.

Objecting to the application, Detective Garda Enda Dowling told Mr Justice Burns the alleged injured party was a French national who sustained 14 or 15 kicks to the head.

He was in hospital in Ireland for three weeks before being repatriated and spending another nine months in a French hospital.

The court heard the man suffered serious injuries and had to learn how to walk and talk again.

Mr Justice Burns said the accused had the presumption of innocence, and he sympathized with the applicant due to his father's condition.

However, he noted the seriousness of the case and also said he was not impressed with the single-page medical evidence produced in court and refused the request to change the bail terms.