Two women sentenced after unprovoked attack on innocent man outside Dublin's Jervis centre

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that the man had gotten off the Luas and was walking past the car park entrance of the Jervis shopping centre when he was pushed from behind. Three individuals set upon the man.

Garda Ann Meenagh told Jane Murphy BL, prosecuting, that the victim was hit on the head, pushed to the ground and kicked. His wallet was also taken, and his glasses were removed and broken.

The court heard that gardaí obtained CCTV footage from the Jervis Carpark and identified Sylvia Hickey (26) of Conyngham Road, Dublin as one of the culprits.

Hickey told gardai that she did not rob the man and said she was very drunk and could not remember the incident. However, after viewing the CCTV footage, she was disgusted and said she felt like "a scumbag”, Gda Meenagh told the court.

Hickey has 87 previous convictions.

Dolores Callaghan (42) of Ellis Quay Hostel Benburb Street Dublin 7 was also identified from CCTV footage and arrested. When questioned she told gardai that "it was not a robbery, and she only took his wallet to see who he was".

The court heard that Callaghan agreed that she had chased, pushed, kicked and taken the wallet of the injured party. She told gardai that she had taken a large amount of non-prescription medication.

Callaghan has two previous convictions.

Maeve MacCabe BL, defending Hickey told the court that her client was intoxicated at the time of the incident and fully admitted her guilt to the gardaí.

A letter of apology was also handed into from Hickey. She told the court that Hickey started using alcohol and drugs before the age of thirteen and has been in care for many years.

Jennifer Jackson, BL, defending Callaghan, told the court that her client apologised for her actions. She said that her client was not on “the garda radar” before this incident.

She said that after Callaghan had viewed the CCTV footage, she was mortified and said her actions were disgraceful. She admitted that she had kicked the injured party twice and taken his wallet.

Judge Martin Nolan said that the parties participated in a shameful attack on the injured party, which was undoubtedly a frightening experience. However, he said he believed that the actions of Hickey were more serious, and she has a history of previous convictions.

Judge Nolan took her early guilty plea and her remorse into consideration before sentencing. He said, "I believe a custodial sentence is appropriate for the assault", and sentenced her to twenty months in prison with credit given for time served exclusively for this offence.

Judge Nolan gave Callaghan a twenty-month suspended sentence for the assault charge under the condition that she keep the peace and be of good behaviour for twenty months.