A teenager who carried out vicious robberies on four men, leaving one with serious head injuries and another with only 60 per cent vision in his left eye, has been remanded in custody pending sentence.
Mark O'Neill (19), Golden Lane, Dublin, met three of his victims on Dame Street before leading them to a city-centre park, where he punched and kicked them before making off with their phones or wallets.
The sister of one victim, who was left with serious head injuries and still attends a day centre three days a week, told Judge Katherine Delahunt her brother had been "a very outgoing and happy-go-lucky chap" before the mugging but now had no social skills, had lost all his friends except one, and was no longer able to even hold a conversation.
O'Neill pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to the robberies on dates between April 17th, 2005, and January 15th, 2006.
Judge Delahunt said these "were very significant crimes" and adjourned the case to allow her to consider victim impact statements and other reports.
Garda Declan Boland told Seán Gillane, prosecuting, that a Chinese national attacked by O'Neill had lost 40 per cent of the sight in his left eye.