Two men high on laughing gas when they carried out assault on woman, court hears
Declan Brennan
Two men were high on laughing gas when they carried out a random, unprovoked assault on a woman who was walking home from work, a court has heard.
On the evening of July 18th 2021, two men ran up behind the woman and pushed her to the ground on Seamus Ennis Road, Finglas, north Dublin.
One man began to punch her from the left and the right.
The woman may also have been kicked while she was on the ground, she later told gardaí. During the attack, the victim screamed for help and thought she was going to die.
One man took her mobile phone from her and began to taunt her. He placed the phone back on the ground and damaged it, Garda Sean Power told Fiona Pekaar BL, prosecuting.
After the men left, the woman went to the nearest garda station. She had a split lip, cuts to her knee and blood on her face and clothing. She suffered a fractured elbow.
CCTV footage from a nearby funeral home recorded two men running to and from the scene of the attack.
Gardaí identified the attackers as Craig Mains (28) of Hazelcroft Park, Finglas, Dublin 11, and Shane Daly (27) of Woodhazel Close, Ballymun, Dublin 11.
After their arrest, they were questioned, but there was nothing of evidential value from these interviews.
A trial was set, charging both men with robbery and assault causing harm. However, guilty pleas were entered last December to a new indictment, with the robbery charges dropped by the Director of Public Prosecutions.
Daly pleaded guilty to assault, and Mains pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and to criminal damage of an iPhone.
The victim handed in a lengthy victim impact report, but asked that it not be read out in court. Judge Ronan Munro said he would consider it.
Keith Spencer BL, defending Daly, noted the woman told gardaí, “I thought I was going to be killed”.
He told the court that both defendants had been inhaling balloons of Nitrous Oxide or laughing gas on the night. He said his client has a bad history of drug addiction, but has rehabilitated completely.
Daly has 23 previous convictions, including one for affray, for which he was given a suspended prison sentence earlier this month. Mains has five previous convictions, all for road traffic offences.
Eimear Delargy BL, defending Mains, said that her client had consumed cocaine, alcohol and pills on the night. She said his offence made no sense and could only be explained by his level of intoxication.
“Their behaviour was so weird, none of it makes sense,” she said. Judge Munro said it seemed that the men carried out a random, unprovoked assault “because it was entertaining”.
Counsel for both defendants told the court that their client wishes to offer unreserved apologies to the victim.
Mr Spencer said Daly has gotten sober and intends to remain so. Daly handed over €2,000 as a token of remorse to be forwarded to the victim, who was in court.
Ms Delargy said Mains has since taken part in an anger management course and has also worked in warehouses and for Ikea as a delivery driver.
He brought €1,000 to court to be offered to the victim.
Judge Munro said this was a heinous offence. He noted that the victim has been “driven demented by the delays” in prosecuting the case.
He adjourned the case to May 12th 2026, for finalisation and remanded both men on continuing bail to that date.
