Courts

Man with 172 convictions jailed for role in attack on and abduction of homeless man

Judge Pauline Codd at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court says victim was ‘savagely beaten’ and that it was clear Wade O’Brien (32) was central to ‘sinister attack’

Wade O’Brien (32), of Park Na Sillogue, Enniskerry, Wicklow, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to affray at Rathsallagh Park, Shankill, on April 5th, 2021. Photograph: Dave Meehan/The Irish Times
Sonya McLean
Mon Jun 24 2024 - 20:13

A man who played “a central role” in the attack and abduction of a homeless man has been jailed for three years.

Wade O’Brien (32), of Park Na Sillogue, Enniskerry, Wicklow, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to affray at Rathsallagh Park, Shankill, on April 5th, 2021. The court heard the State accepted the guilty plea on the basis of full facts of the case.

O’Brien has 172 previous convictions, including for 42 road traffic, drugs, theft and public order offences.

Garda Declan Hartley told Michael Hourigan BL, prosecuting, that the victim turned up at a stranger’s house that morning just after 9.30am with obvious injuries. A woman living there brought him into the home and contacted gardaí.

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Gardaí went to the address to find the man, who was homeless at the time, had swelling and was bleeding heavily. He was unable to stand and an ambulance was called for him. He was later treated for a fractured wrist and severe bruising and cuts.

He told gardaí he had been in a friend’s house in Shankill when four men arrived, attacked him, bundled him into the boot of a car and then dumped him around the area where the gardaí met him.

Garda Hartley said the man had not co-operated further with the investigation and had not prepared a victim impact statement.

Judge Pauline Codd watched CCTV footage of the attack, which showed four men going into the house in Shankill, with O’Brien being the last man to enter.

A car was then seen being pulled up in front of the house with the boot open, before the victim was bundled into it.

Judge Codd said the victim had been “savagely beaten”, and that it was clear from the footage that O’Brien was “central to this sinister attack”.

“He can be seen beating down on the victim with a baseball bat,” Judge Codd said, before adding that the offence involved “considerable premeditation”, as the car had been driven to the house with the boot open.

Feargal Kavanagh SC, defending, said his client had previously been friendly with the victim and offered him accommodation, but Judge Codd interjected, “With friends like that, who…”.

He said the assault arose over an issue involving a car, and said his client could have “brazened it out” when he became aware that the victim was not going to give evidence at trial.

Judge Codd set a headline sentence of five years before she reduced the sentence to four years, having taken into account the fact that O’Brien has remained out of trouble since the offence.

She suspended the final year of the sentence on strict conditions including that O’Brien remain drug- and alcohol-free for the duration of the term.