A Dublin man racially abused and punched one of Ireland’s best underage sportswomen on the chest on a bus last year, a court has heard.
The teenager represents Ireland in team and individual sports and was returning home by bus last October when assaulted by father of three, Padraig Delaney (39) of Glenhill Road, Finglas, Dublin 11.
At Ennis District Court, Judge Carol Anne Coolican said that she was “disgusted” by the facts around the incident on October 3rd, 2018.
In her victim impact statement, the secondary school student, stated Mr Delaney told her on the bus at Bunratty, “I should be shot like the rest of us making a shooting gesture with his hands. He then made a racist comment and I asked him ‘What did you say?’ and he then hit me.”
The teenager – who can’t be named by order of Judge Coolican – stated “after he hit me a young man saw what he had done and attacked him”.
Accompanied to court by her parents, the teenager said that the bus driver then called gardaí.
In her victim impact statement, the girl said that as a result of the attack, “I have been hesitant to use public transport.”
Judge Coolican said: “No one should have to put up with this behaviour. He kicked out at her, made a shooting gesture with his hand and then made a racist comment before hitting her.”
Sgt Aiden Lonergan said that Mr Delaney was drunk and kept putting his feet on the teenage girl’s lap on the bus and she repeatedly pushed his feet off her lap. He said that Mr Delaney racially abused the girl with a comment and punched her in the chest at Bunratty.
Mr Delaney pleaded guilty to the assault.
Solicitor for Mr Delaney, John Casey said: “Mr Delaney wishes to apologise for the incident.”
He said the father of three had taken sleeping tablets and alcohol resulting in him being very disorientated. He added that Mr Delaney has no recollection of the incident.
Mr Casey said Mr Delaney, who is a qualified cabinet maker, hasn’t drunk alcohol since.
He said: “Mr Delaney is upset and what is most upsetting him is the impact his behaviour had on this young lady . . . She did absolutely nothing to deserve it. Mr Delaney knows and accepts that she shouldn’t have to put up with this”
Judge Coolican ordered Mr Delaney to pay the teenager €1,000 in compensation and adjourned the matter to January 22nd for a probation report.
She told the girl: “I wish you the very best in all of your sporting activity into the future.”
