Courts / Dublin / Report

Man carried out "horrific, gratuitous and violent" assaults at random

Summary

In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court hearing, 23‑year‑old Gavin Mulgrew was sentenced to three‑and‑a‑half years in jail, with the final two‑and‑a‑half years suspended. The judge described his two random assaults on July 9, 2015, as "horrific, gratuitous, violent and unprovoked." Mulgrew admitted to punching David Rooney on Suffolk Street, causing a fractured cheekbone and requiring surgery, and to assaulting French national Yannick Said on Chancery Place, resulting in a dislocated shoulder, facial injuries and a broken nose. He pleaded guilty, claiming he was high on tablets and had a hazy memory of the events. The judge noted his progress in custody, his drug‑free status, and his rehabilitation work in the prison kitchen. The suspended portion of the sentence was conditional on victim‑focused work, addiction counselling and probation appointments. The sentence was back‑dated to October 10, 2017.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Man carried out "horrific, gratuitous and violent" assaults at random. Charges or matters: assaulting David Rooney causing him harm on Suffolk Street on July 9, 2015, as Mr Rooney was walking home from work. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

• July 9, 2015 Hearing Or Sentence
• July 2015 Incident
• October 10, 2017 Other
• 2018-02-05 Publication

Case subjects

Places mentioned

Topics

Drugs Stage Sentence Violent Crime

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Read the original CNI report