Seven young "properly brought up" south Dublin men have had their sentences for violent disorder adjourned by Judge Desmond Hogan who heard the case arose because a girl kissed a man some months before.
All seven pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court yesterday to violent disorder and assault causing harm to Rory Browne, Paul Plunkett and Keith Butler in October 2005 in Stillorgan, Co Dublin.
Garda Ivan Howlin told Mary Rose Gearty, prosecuting, that at one stage during the second of two incidents, it was difficult to determine exactly who was fighting whom.
Garda Howlin said that one of the victims was also stabbed in the leg with a steak knife which one of the protagonists had taken from a pub to cut cannabis resin.
Judge Hogan said it was an "aggravating factor in this case that people who have been given a chance in life and brought up properly still commit this kind of assault". He put back sentencing to allow for the preparation of victim impact statements and community service reports, but he reminded the men they could still face a custodial sentence.
Chris Higgins (19), Castlebrook, Dundrum, had sworn to get revenge on Mr Browne for kissing his girlfriend in a disco some months previously and this set off the chain of events, Garda Howlin said.
Higgins saw Mr Browne coming out of an off-licence in Stillorgan with a female friend on October 12th, 2005. When Mr Browne crossed the road to avoid him, Higgins and his friends Eoghan Devins (20), Hazel Lodge, Hazel Avenue, Kilmacud, and Stephen Monaghan (19), Kilmacud Road Lower, Dundrum, followed.
Garda Howlin said Mr Browne threw a drinks can at them and ran away but they caught up with him at Beaufield Park, Stillorgan, and forced him down on the ground before kicking and punching him. Mr Browne subsequently managed to get up and run a short distance but was caught by Monaghan who held him for Higgins to continue hitting.
Garda Howlin said that after this assault, Mr Browne realised his mobile phone and certain other personal items were missing. Two of his friends, Keith Butler and Paul Plunkett, rang his mobile phone on October 14th to try and get the items back.
Higgins was at a 21st birthday party with a group of his friends, including Devins, Stephen Bradshaw (20), Wedgewood, Sandyford, Andrew Sharpe (20), originally from the same area and now with an address at Ballinaclash, Co Wexford.
It was decided that the two groups would meet at Marshall Court, Stillorgan, to get Mr Browne's mobile phone back. When the two groups met a fight broke out.
Mr Butler and Mr Plunkett found themselves outnumbered.