CCTV captured violent late-night attack

Garda street cameras captured “crystal-clear” images of two youths knocking two others unconscious during a violent and unprovoked attack in Eyre Square late one night.

The footage led to the positive identification of both accused who each received three-year sentences with the final year suspended.

Michael Mongan (20), of 5 Cois na Coille, Ballybane, and Michael Barrett (20) from 46 Beal Srutha, Ballybane, both pleaded guilty to affray at Eyre Square on March 2 last year when they first appeared before Galway Circuit Criminal Court in February.

The matter was adjourned for sentence and for the preparation of reports on both accused.

Garda Paul McNulty told the sentence hearing that images of a violent incident involving a large number of youths was captured “crystal-clear” on Garda street cameras outside Supermac’s, Eyre Square at 2.24a.m. on the date in question.

Barrett can be seen on the CCTV talking to another young man. Barrett is aggressive and he is seen striking the other young man in the jaw.

Michael Mongan then rushes in and punches the young man into the side of the head, blind-sided. The young man falls unconscious to the ground where Barrett kicks him in the head.

Another young man is captured on the CCTV coming in to diffuse the situation. He is seen talking to Barrett and holding out his hand in an attempt to shake hands but he too is struck and falls to the ground unconscious where he is again attacked.

Both victims lay on the ground unconscious for a number of minutes while both accused are seen fleeing the scene.

“This was a totally unprovoked assault and makes for gruesome viewing,” Garda McNulty said.

Barrett was arrested on June 5 last and replied “no comment” to every question put to him during interview, even when the graphic CCTV footage was shown to him.

Mongan came to the Garda Station three weeks later and said he wanted to give a voluntary statement but then changed his mind and left.

Garda McNulty said both accused were now in custody serving sentences for other offences.

Barrett, the court heard, is a trained boxer with 29 previous convictions, two of which are for serious assaults for which he received sentences totalling 18 months last year.

Mongan has five previous, including three for robberies and is currently serving 14 months for those. He also received a three-year sentence last July for robbery, with the final two years suspended

Defence barrister, Aisling Wall said Barrett’s sentence for the other assaults was due to expire in November.

He had a record of offending from the time he was 15 years of age and admitted he had a violent nature when he had drink taken, she said.

Mr Tony Buckley for Galway City Partnership spoke very highly in Mongan’s favour.  He said Mongan had done a lot of voluntary work in his neighbourhood and he saw some good in him

Ms Wall said Mongan’s current sentences would be served by September

She said he suffered from ADHD and had not been taking his medication for the condition at the time of these offences but was back taking it again now

Both accused, she said, had drank a lot of alcohol prior to the affray

Judge Rory McCabe said this was a vicious, nasty and unprovoked assault on two innocent young men

Nobody, he said, could blame alcohol for such an attack

“Nobody put a funnel in their mouths and poured alcohol into them,” he observed.

Both accused, the judge said, were no strangers to the court and had committed significant crimes of violence already in their young lives

Reading from a prison governor’s report handed into court which stated both accused had disciplinary notes on their files, the judge said the appropriate sentence in each case was three years in prison with the final twelve months suspended for three years, on condition both accused be of good behaviour during the period of the suspension

The sentences, he added, would run concurrently to the sentences both accused are currently serving