Teenager in the Midlands suffered fractured skull after claw hammer used during 'revenge attack'

Two teenage brothers reappeared before Longford District Court today charged with the section 3 assault of another teenager who remains in hospital.

The brothers, aged 16 and 18, cannot be named due to the age of the younger accused.

No bail application was made for the younger of the two, but an application for bail was contested with regard to the older brother.

Detective Garda Orla Geraghty told the court that, on April 6, 2024, a teenager was assaulted at Edgeworthstown train station, leaving him with a fractured skull, a bleed on his brain and bruising on his head and body.

The court heard that, at 3pm on the date in question, the injured party was with a friend at the train station when four males came up the platform and started kicking and punching him.

“One of the males produced a claw hammer and began hitting the injured party,” said Det. Gda Geraghty.

“The incident was captured in its entirety on CCTV.”

She added that the injured party was “completely outnumbered and given no opportunity to defend himself or run away”.

During the course of the assault, the court heard, the injured party was punched twice to the face and 16 times to the back. He was also kicked once to the head and once to the groin.

After the alleged assault, the four men fled the scene and the injured party was taken to Mullingar hospital, before later being transferred to Beaumont Hospital.

While in Mullingar, he gave a statement to Gardaí, saying the four men had their faces covered, but he recognised the eyes and mouths of the accused.

In interview, the older of the two boys identified himself on the CCTV footage. Two other co-accused were arrested and identified the older boy on CCTV, and said the younger brother had made a recording of the assault on his phone.

This was “quite clearly a revenge attack”, Det. Gda Geraghty told the court, referring to a report received by Gardaí two days earlier alleging that the accused's sister had been assaulted by the injured party.

Gardaí are concerned that, if released on bail, witnesses would be intimidated. They are also concerned that the phone and clawhammer were not recovered, though it is accepted the accused before the court was not the one who produced the weapon.

Judge Owens, having heard the evidence and Garda objections, admitted the teenager to bail under strict conditions, including an own bond, cash lodgement of €5,000.

He must also reside at the address on the charge sheet and notify Gardaí if he wishes to change that address.

He is to sign on daily at Granard Garda Station and is to have no contact with the injured party or the family of the injured party, either directly or indirectly, including on social media.

Both brothers will reappear before Longford District Court on May 7, 2024.