Three Cork men have been acquitted of assaulting a student, who has been left in a vegetative state since the incident in Cork city centre two years ago, after a judge ruled that statements they were alleged to have made to gardaí were inadmissible.
Two of the men were also acquitted at Cork Circuit Criminal Court on the charge of violent disorder. A third man, William St Leger, pleaded guilty to violent disorder.
Robert Carlile (21), from Grangewood Court in Douglas; Alan Harte (21), from Leamlara Close, Togher; and William St Ledger (20), from Woodview, Pinecroft in Douglas, earlier pleaded not guilty before Cork Circuit Criminal Court.
All three were charged with assault causing serious harm to Mr Denis Franklin from Pallasgreen, Limerick, at the junction of Kift's Lane and Grand Parade on February 17th, 2002, and of violent disorder on the same occasion.
The court heard today that there was no evidence against Mr Carlile and Mr Harte on either charge or on the charge against St Leger of assault causing serious harm.
St Leger was re-arraigned before the jury on the charge of violent disorder and pleaded guilty.Judge Patrick Moran remanded St Leger on bail for sentencing on April 30th.
The jury heard evidence during the trial that an incident began in Kift's Lane on the night in question. It involved two men fighting with a smaller individual.
It was alleged that a group gathered on the side of the shorter person and the two involved in the original incident, Mr Franklin and his friend Mr Rory O'Neill, then left the lane.
There were then two incidents of violence on Grand Parade - these two incidents involved Mr Franklin and Mr O'Neill.
Mr O'Neill crawled underneath a car to protect himself.
Mr Franklin had no place to hide and was savagely beaten and kicked. He suffered massive head injuries. An ambulance took Mr Franklin to hospital but due to the injuries he sustained is now in a "permanent vegetative state".