Man who left victim requiring brain surgery following a one punch assault jailed for 2.5 years

Sonya McLean

A man who left a victim requiring brain surgery following a one-punch assault that knocked the victim to the ground has been jailed for two and a half years.

Richard Manson (48), formerly of Mellows Quay, Usher’s Quay, Dublin 8, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing serious harm to Patrik Hudacek outside Pilsner Bar, also on Usher’s Quay on December 3rd, 2023.

Imposing sentence on Tuesday, Judge Martin Nolan said this was an “unfortunate case” in which the injured party sustained a “serious” injury.

He said this was a “one-punch attack” and that it “seems it was momentary stupidity on the part of Manson to involve himself”, adding that the defendant had “moved towards the trouble”.

The judge said he had taken into account the mitigation before imposing a four-year sentence with the final 18 months suspended on strict conditions.

Garda Richard Pender told David Perry BL, prosecuting, that Mr Hudacek had been drinking in the bar with four other Slovakian men that evening. Staff later reported that the group had been singing loudly and they had been asked to quieten down, but otherwise they had not caused any trouble.

Manson was in the bar with a group of men. These men seemed to be irritated by the Slovakian men, and at one point, one of that group left to make a phone call before returning with four other men. These men then sat together and continued to stare at the group that Mr Hudacek was in.

Mr Hudacek and his friends left the bar, and they were followed by the other group. Before this group left the bar, one of the men armed himself with a steak knife from a cutlery basket.

A second man went into the kitchen area of the bar and tried to grab a knife, but was prevented from doing so by staff. He then tried to also take a knife from the cutlery basket, but was again stopped by staff.

One of the group, who is due to go for trial, approached the Slovakian men and asked, “What is your problem?” before he threw a punch.

A second man then shouted, “I will stab you to bits, you mad thing”, while producing the knife he had taken from the bar.

Mr Hudacek started to walk towards the group, but Manson punched him in the face, knocking him to the ground. He struck his head off the ground and was rendered unconscious.

Gda Pender said the “brawl” then broke out between the group, that lasted about 90 seconds. All the men from Mr Hudacek’s group were punched and kicked by the others.

Manson left the scene but returned to the bar to meet with his partner and his dog. He walked past Mr Hudacek twice, who was still on the ground unconscious. Mr Hudacek was ultimately moved back into the bar, and an ambulance was called.

The court played CCTV footage of the assault.

Manson was arrested after gardaí identified him on the footage. He was interviewed and claimed he had been acting in self-defence. He said he had followed a guy out of the bar who had a glass in his hand. He said he put his head down and “swung out”.

Manson told gardaí from “the bottom of my heart, I genuinely hope he pulls through – I pray for him every night”.

A victim impact report and medical reports were handed into court but not read into the record.

Mr Perry said Mr Hudacek underwent brain surgery for five hours and spent five weeks in a medically induced coma. His wife travelled from Slovakia and stayed with him until he was transferred back to Slovakia by air ambulance.

Gda Pender confirmed that it is most likely that Mr Hudacek will never work again.

He confirmed that Manson had 12 previous convictions from Northern Ireland, including offences from October 2009 for firearm offences and conspiracy to rob.

Gda Pender agreed with Seamus Clarke SC, defending, that Manson runs his own company as a bricklayer and works as a subcontractor.

It was accepted that Manson had €20,000 in court to offer as a token of remorse. The court heard that Mr Hudacek’s family are willing to accept this sum.

Gda Pender accepted that Manson is very remorseful. Mr Clarke asked the court to accept that his client had pleaded guilty at an early point, while most of the other men have elected for trial.

Counsel said Manson lived with his father in Scotland until he died when Manson was 14 years old, and he moved to Northern Ireland to be with his mother. He left that family home when he was 16 and began working as a bricklayer.

There were numerous letters and testimonials which spoke of him being of good character. There was other documentation in the court to support the fact that Manson has a legitimate business and is contracted for future work.

Mr Clarke said his client is a person who works hard and is a good father to his children.

Judge Nolan directed that the €20,000 should be paid within one month.

Addressing Manson directly, Judge Nolan said: “It gives the court no joy to imprison you.”

He noted Manson had been in trouble earlier in his life, but had changed his life and become a pro-social member of society.

The judge said the victim sustained a serious injury and told Manson, “you must pay for what you did on the night in question” and “must suffer imprisonment for what you did.”