A young man who pleaded guilty to a sustained assault that lasted for more than 20 minutes and left his victim with severe injuries has been sent to prison at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.
The court heard that Darragh McLoughlin, 22 of 23 Richmond Hill, Cork, had admitted assault causing serious harm to a man at Paul Street, Cork, on October 18th, 2022.
Judge Jonathan Dunphy said that the details of the assault were disturbing and that when CCTV footage of the incident was shown to the court most people present had to look away. It was so upsetting.
Summarising the facts, the judge said that Mr McLoughlin had got into an argument with the injured party, who was known to him, outside a nightclub in Cork on the night in question.
Mr McLoughlin had swung a punch at the injured party but missed and fell to the ground. The injured party then kicked Mr McLoughlin in the back and left the area.
CCTV footage from around the city had shown Mr McLoughlin chasing the injured party before eventually catching up with him in Paul Street.
The two then wrestled until Mr McLoughlin eventually overpowered the injured party and carried out a sustained assault that lasted for more than 20 minutes.
During the assault Mr McLoughlin kicked, punched and stamped on his victim more than 250 times. He took the injured party’s phone from him and recored himself stamping on his head 15 times.
Mr McLoughlin then dragged the injured party along the road, leaving a trail of blood behind.
The court heard that Mr McLoughlin continued the assault despite members of the public pleading with him to stop and that he only ceased the attack when gardaí arrived.
The victim suffered multiple fractures to his eye socket and nasal bones and was left with double vision and Judge Dunphy said that it was “nothing short of a miracle” that the injured party had not suffered life-threatening injuries.
The judge acknowledged mitigating factors presented by defence counsel Neal Horgan, including the fact that Darragh McLoughlin had come to court on a signed guilty plea, that he had no previous convictions, several character references and the fact that he had fully engaged with rehabilitation services. Mr McLoughlin had also brought €10,000 in compensation for the injured party.
Judge Dunphy sentenced Darragh McLoughlin to six and half years in prison but suspended the final two and half years for three years on his own bond of €500.
He was also ordered to place himself under the supervision of the probation service for three years on his release and to be of good behaviour and keep the peace.
