Two men admit to 'very disturbing' assault outside Dublin shop

Declan Brennan

A judge has described as “very disturbing” an assault in which the victim was punched, pulled to the ground and kicked.

Aidan Daniels (30) and Adam Kelly (21), with an address at Rochdale, Honeypark, Monkstown, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault with intent to cause bodily harm at the Daybreak shop in Loughlinstown, Dublin, on June 23rd, 2025.

Garda Sinead Whelan told Edward Doocey, prosecuting, that a member of the public anonymously called gardaí after witnessing the attack on a man outside the shop.

The victim declined to make any statement to gardaí, but the defendants were identified from CCTV of the attack.

Viewing this footage in court, Judge Martina Baxter said: “This is very disturbing”.

The footage showed Kelly punching and kneeing the victim as he “slides to the ground”.

She said the victim is then defenceless on the ground and being dragged by his hoodie with one of the men dragging him by his leg.

Judge Baxter noted that one of the men is seen trying to stamp on the victim's head.

Gda Whelan testified that the victim was punched, kneed, kicked and stamped on multiple times. When he is lying on the ground, he is trying to protect his head from the blows.

Kelly's 38 previous convictions include theft, drug dealing, criminal damage and careless driving. He was on a suspended sentence imposed in February 2025 when he carried out this assault.

Daniels has 18 previous convictions, including possession of a flick knife, aggravated burglary and taking vehicles. Most of these are from the UK, where Daniels lived up to 2018, before he moved here.

At the time of the assault, he was out on bail for other offences which are still before the courts. Both men were arrested on July 17th last, and bail was refused.

Shaun Smyth, defending Daniels, said his client went into care at a young age. He accepts now that this was a horrific offence and is remorseful.

He said the father of three, including a newborn, plans to engage with his family when he gets out of custody.

Carol Doherty, defending Kelly, said this harrowing, violent episode was out of character with his previous non-violent offending.

She provided the court with a letter from his partner, who has just given birth to their first child. His partner believes that Kelly's perspective on life has changed now with the birth of his son, counsel told the court.

Judge Baxter ordered reports from the prison governors on both defendants and adjourned sentencing to May 1st next.