Judge refuses to strike out case against teenager over serious assault

A judge has refused to strike out a case taken against a teenager accused of leaving a young father in an induced coma following an alleged serious assault in Mullingar in December.

The teenager initially appeared at a sitting of Mullingar District Court on December 19 to face an assault causing harm charge at Grove Street, Mullingar during the early hours of December 14, 2024.

His alleged victim, who is originally from Longford Town, was initially taken to the Midland Regional Hospital Mullingar with serious head injuries, and subsequently transferred to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin.

It was there that medics carried out emergency surgery on the man by inserting a catheter to relieve pressure on his brain.

The teenager re-appeared at a sitting of Mullingar District Court this afternoon (Thursday) where, it was expected, directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) would be made known.

When the case was called before Judge Bernadette Owens, Sgt Sheila Kenny said the state would seek a further four-week adjournment.

She said the nature of the investigation was “complex”; a file had initially been sent to the National Juvenile Office (NJO) and was now with the DPP.

There was no update provided in court as to the condition of the injured man, who is aged in his 30s.

Defence barrister Sarah Patton, BL, argued for the charge against her client to be struck out given that the Section 3 charge was proffered against the accused three months earlier.

Ms Patton said there was “considerable pressure” mounting over the case, much of which was based on the fact her client “ages out” – is due to turn 18 in November.

She said should the court stop short of acceding to her request, a more modest direction could be found in marking it peremptory against the state, effectively allowing the prosecution one final chance to secure directions to ready its case.

Sgt Kenny replied by asking Judge Owens to overlook the defence request, insisting directions would be available on the anticipated return date of the case next month.

The accused, who wore a white jumper and dark colour tracksuit bottoms to court, remained silent during the hearing while sitting in the body of the court.

Judge Owens said that while she was not inclined to mark the case as peremptory against the state, she would label it as being “time passing”.

She said by doing so, the court would only afford a further two weeks should directions remain outstanding in four weeks’ time and she would then impose a peremptory direction against the state.

An application for a variation of the teenager’s bail to extend his curfew from 9pm to 6am was signed off on by Judge Owens.

The teenager was consequently remanded on continuing bail to appear before Mullingar District Court on April 24.