Inspector Finbarr O’Sullivan told Cork District Court yesterday that Jonathan Byrne, of 7 Charles Daly Rd, Togher, Cork, used a knuckleduster during the attack last year.
Emmet Boyle, defending, said Byrne, now aged 18 but 17 at the time of the incident, pleaded guilty to the charge of assault causing harm to Ryan Sweeney. However, Byrne insisted he had not used a knuckleduster.
Insp O’Sullivan said the injured party had walked a friend to a taxi rank on St Patrick’s St and then walked up Maylor St, where a car slowed as it was driven past.
Byrne, a passenger in the car, shouted out the window: “You’re lucky I didn’t punch you.”
Mr Sweeney then walked on to Caroline St where Byrne got out of the car and assaulted him, with repeated blows to the face. It was estimated that he struck the victim eight or nine times.
“An aggravating factor was that he had a knuckleduster and the injured party suffered cuts to his face,” Insp O’Sullivan said.
Mr Boyle said:
“It appears that there was — to use the expression — bad blood between them. The injured party was 21 years old at the time of the infliction of injuries on him.”
Judge Grainne O’Neill said she had heard nothing about compensation.
Mr Boyle said Byrne was of very limited means. The judge said she would put sentencing back for six months to give him a chance to raise €500 as a gesture of remorse to the injured party.
Judge O’Neill said: “If that money is paid there would be a monetary fine and not a sentence.”
Byrne had no convictions for crimes of violence.