Dublin dad headbutted boy (12) after stones were thrown at his home on Halloween

Mark Dunne (40) claimed that he had been harassed by youths for some time, and he was “at the end of his tether”.

The victim’s father said his son had been out celebrating Halloween and was walking home with friends, and he had stepped in when he came across an incident between Dunne and a smaller boy.

Judge Cormac Dunne convicted and fined Dunne €750.

The defendant, with an address at Cedar Square, Ridgewood in Swords, admitted seriously assaulting a teenager at Cedar View in Swords on October 31, 2020.

Sergeant Terri Ferguson told Swords District Court that Dunne came out of his house and headbutted the victim, who was 12 years old.

Sgt Ferguson said the victim was left with a swollen nose following the assault.

The boy’s father addressed the court, saying An Garda Síochána had been “exceptionally poor” and had not even notified him that the case was before the court.

His son “broke down in tears” when he spoke to him about the assault, and it took him over six months to get back to his sporting activities, the court heard.

The man said his son was walking home with two other individuals when there was an incident between Dunne and another boy.

The man said his son stepped in and Dunne knocked him to the ground.

His son knew nothing about stones being thrown at the house, the court heard.

The defence said Dunne accepted that his conduct was “completely over the top” .

He said Dunne was “at the end of his tether” with unknown youths, who had been causing a nuisance by throwing stones at his house.

In relation to this incident, the defence said Dunne was at home when he heard stones being thrown at his house.

He went outside, where he claimed he was confronted by a number of youths.

There was “pushing and shoving”, he said, and his client over-reacted.

The defence also said there had been a build-up to the incident, including a time where a knife had been brandished when Dunne had confronted a group of youths.

The solicitor said Dunne worked in logistics and had two children. He had struggled with an alcohol problem for nearly a decade but he was now doing much better and receiving counselling.