A Galway man who attacked a group of youths near his home with a metal baseball bat has been sentenced to nine months in prison.
Seán Scarriff (18), a trainee electrician, Shantalla, pleaded guilty at Galway District Court yesterday to assaulting one of the youths, causing him harm, and to assaulting two other youths on the same occasion.
He also pleaded guilty to producing the baseball bat during the course of a dispute that took place at 9.45 pm on St Patrick's Day last year.
Insp Noel Kelly said the attack was unprovoked.
Scarriff hit one of the youths a number of blows to the head, which necessitated 12 stitches to his forehead and two to the back of his head. The other two youths who were attacked suffered bruising.
Defending solicitor Olivia Traynor asked Judge Mary Fahy to take into account the fact that her client was just 17 at the time and had been led to believe one of the youths had assaulted his sister earlier.
Scarriff took the baseball bat from his bedroom and went outside to where a group of youths had congregated near the local primary school.
Ms Traynor said his parents had treated the matter seriously and had sent their son for counselling in anger management.
Reading a medical report handed in to the court, Judge Fahy noted that one of the injured youths had suffered a serious injury.