Two of the three men who made statements to Dublin gardaí in relation to the Grafton Street attack on a librarian last weekend are Irish Davis Cup professional tennis-players, it has emerged.
The men are Mr Seán Cooper (23), from Stillorgan, Co Dublin and Mr Stephen Nugent (21), from Kinsealy, Co Dublin. The identity of the third man was not known.
Mr Cooper and Mr Nugent are two of Ireland's best tennis players. They were on the Davis Cup team which beat Egypt in Dublin earlier this month and played each other in the final of the Irish Indoor Championship last year.
In a statement to gardaí at Pearse Street on Monday, at least one of the men told detectives the attack had not happened in the manner suggested by recent media reports.
In that statement it is alleged the attack followed an incident on Grafton Street immediately before the librarian, Mr Barry Duggan (30), sustained the injury which left him fighting for life.
Mr Duggan was cycling on Grafton Street to his home in Rathmines after a night out when the attack occurred. It had been previously reported that he had been turned on and beaten by a gang of three men after he fell from his bicycle into the group. It was also reported the attack had spilled over into a nearby street, and that Mr Duggan had been dragged there where the attack continued.
One source said it had been strongly denied that the attack was "random" as reports had suggested. The source indicated that at least one of the three was satisfied that CCTV footage would contradict the media's portrayal of the incident.
Mr Duggan remained in a critical but stable condition in St James's Hospital last night. He has not regained consciousness since the attack just before 2 a.m. last Sunday. Mr Nugent and Mr Cooper, as well as a third man, voluntarily walked into Pearse Street Garda station to give statements about the incident.
The investigation is continuing, and a file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecution.
Last week the attack was the subject of close media scrutiny. It became a political issue and was raised in the Dail. Members of the Opposition claimed the attack was an indication of growing levels of violence on the streets. The Labour leader, Mr Pat Rabbitte, described it as every parent's worse nightmare.
It was also raised at the annual conference of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors in Galway this week where ways of clamping down on alcohol-fuelled attacks formed much of the debate.
Speaking in Galway, the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, said the attack was an indication of the kind of "mindless thuggery" which often resulted from excessive drinking.
l Late last night, Mr Stephen Nugent's solicitor issued a statement on his client's behalf:
"With regard to the incident on Grafton Street last Sunday morning which resulted in life-threatening injuries to Barry Duggan, Stephen Nugent wishes to make it clear that he only became involved following an assault on his friend. Stephen was not the instigator. He did not cause the harm done to Barry Duggan. He has already made a full statement to the gardaí."
