Man jailed for his part in an assault which left victim with a brain injury

Eimear Dodd

A man who took part in an assault which left the victim with a serious brain injury has been jailed for five years.

John Connors (28) of Upper Rathmines Road, Rathmines Co. Dublin, pleaded guilty on a trial date to assault causing serious harm to Christopher McDonagh on January 24th 2021.

His co-accused, Michael Joyce (28), with an address at Brega Hamlet Lane, Balbriggan, Co Dublin, pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing serious harm and was sentenced to seven and a half years in May 2022.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard evidence that gardaí arrived at an apartment complex on Upper Rathmines Road and noticed Joyce and Connors heading upstairs from the rear of the property.

Joyce was carrying two fire extinguishers and had blood on his hands and a cut to his forehead.

Gardaí were permitted to enter the apartment and saw two fire extinguishers and bloodstains on the bathroom door.

Mr McDonagh was found in the back garden of the property.

The court heard Mr McDonagh's last memory was of standing beside the two men in the building hall and then being hit over the head with something.

A number of people who lived in the same building told gardaí of hearing shouting and noises that morning. One neighbour took two video clips of the men beating and hitting Mr McDonagh outside the building.

These clips were shown to the judge, but not to the court.

Connors kicked Mr McDonagh while he was on the ground in the neck, chest and body. He then pulled Joyce off the victim, but Joyce returned with the fire extinguisher and struck Mr McDonagh with it.

Gardaí and paramedics were called to the scene. Connors was arrested and was initially deemed unfit for interview due to intoxication.

He was interviewed four times and when shown the video clips, commented “that's disgusting”

In a prepared statement, Connors said he was acting in self-defence. Mr McDonagh was taken to hospital and was transferred to Beaumont Hospital.

He sustained a serious head injury and lost 11 teeth. A medical report and victim impact statement were provided to the court.

Connors has 12 previous convictions and was on temporary release at the time of this offence.

The investigating garda agreed with defence counsel that there was a feud between the McDonagh and Joyce families.

It was accepted that Connors told gardai there was a row that night between Mr McDonagh and Joyce, which he tried to break up.

The witness also agreed that Connors was not the main instigator of the incident.

The court heard a recent trial date could not go ahead and Connors pleaded in the interim.

Connors has a cocaine addiction and no work history. His temporary release was revoked following this incident.

Defence counsel submitted his client's involvement was less serious than the co-accused.

Connors is from the Travelling community. While in custody, he has completed an anger management course and is on a waiting list to see a psychologist.

Counsel asked the court for leniency for his client.

Judge Martin Nolan said both men participated in the attack. He accepted that Connors pulled Joyce off the victim and that he has a lesser culpability as he didn't wield the fire extinguisher.

Having considered the mitigation, the judge said a custodial sentence had to be imposed, but it should be less than that imposed on Joyce.

The judge imposed a sentence of five years backdated to April 2025, when Connors went into custody after a bench warrant was executed.

He declined to suspend any portion of a sentence, adding that Connors “has been through the criminal process and knows if he reoffences, there is only one outcome for him”.