SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

On Monday, 13 July 2015, at approximately 10:20pm I witnessed a vicious assault on my street.

 A 15-year-old boy was cornered and beaten around the head and chest by two other youths; one brandishing a hurley and the other what looked like an iron bar.

They struck the boy at least 4-times each about the head and chest, as he fell to the ground unconscious they fled into Ballinacurra Weston via the right-of-way at the top of my street.

I was upstairs when it happened; I was first alerted that something was going on by the sound of girls shouting “leave him alone”.

I looked out the window and saw a youth wearing a hoodie standing at the top of my street and brandishing a hurley.

The youth started to run down my street and that’s when I saw the other two youths standing in the middle of the road outside my neighbour’s house. Both of them had their back to me and one youth had a hold of the other by his arm.

When the youth with the hurley reached the other two he stood still looking at them for a few seconds. Then his pal released his grip on the other youth and they began to beat him to the ground; the girls watching from the top of my street starting screaming in terror.

The assault lasted less than 30 seconds and by the time I reached the victim his attackers had run off. The girls were making their way towards the unconscious youth, one of them sobbing “oh my God, oh my God” repeatedly with another asking “is he dead?”, but when they saw me coming out my front gate they panicked and ran off.

The youth was laying still, his blood pouring from his head onto the road.

He was barefoot.

I could see that he was breathing. Mindful of his head, I put him into the recovery position and he opened his eyes.

He tried to stand, but fell to his knees and crawled to the footpath and sat there with his head in his hands, blood streaming down his face.

I asked him his name, I asked him if he knew where he was, but he wouldn’t answer. I got my phone out and told him I was calling an ambulance, at that he got up and began to stagger in a slow zig-zag up my street. I followed him and called the Gardaí.

The Gardaí told me that my wife had already been on to them and that a car had been dispatched, I said that I was heading up our Boreen to the main road and I would get back to them with directions if we didn’t meet the car on the way.

At the top of our Boreen he paused, holding himself up against a garden wall before throwing himself left and nearly getting hit by a car only I caught a hold of him in time, I kept a hold of his shoulder keeping him in off the road as we walked.

 As I was getting back on to the Gardaí we passed a group of girls; they stopped in shock and called him by name

“Oh my God what have they done to you” says one of them, with her hands over her face in horror.

“Where does he live?” I ask. She tells me and I ask “who did this?”, she doesn’t answer.

I let the Gardaí know where we are headed.

We passed two small boys sitting at the entrance to his street; one of them was holding the victims leather slip-on shoes; they followed after us. 

A few minutes later and we’re at his front door. His mother lets him in, he brushes passed her and collapses on to the couch. His father comes out to me and I tell him what has happened and that the Gardaí are on the way; he asks me to wait for them while he tends to his son.

The Gardaí arrive and an ambulance is called; the boy is unconscious and they are concerned that there might be a bleed on his brain as his head is starting to swell.

The commotion causes a neighbour to come out. I told him what was going on and he told me that for the past 6-months a gang of youths had been coming into his area and causing trouble; several residents had had their windows broken, himself included.

He told me that the victim and his family were from Afghanistan, they had only moved in the week before and that within days they had become the focus of attention for the gang.  He told me that 3-days earlier the victim’s younger brothers (aged 6 and 8) were outside their home playing ball when the gang started throwing stones at them.

He said that he went out and confronted them saying that the Gardaí had been called and told the boys to go in home; the gang numbered up to 20, ranging in age from 6 to 16 and the older boys were encouraging the younger ones to throw the stones. He got dogs abuse and a few stones, but they did eventually clear off.

I told him that I was familiar with this gang and agreed that “yes”, they are a problem.

I was asked to wait for the Gardaí to take me home so that I could show them the crime scene; the area was taped off from my neighbours gate to the boundary fence (he got some land when he arrived home later that night) and a squad car with two Gardaí stayed guard until forensics were carried out the next day.

The Gardaí said that because it was a head injury involving blunt force trauma that there was the possibility that it could turn into a murder investigation by the morning.

Thankfully it didn’t.

I made a full statement to the Gardaí. Unfortunately I couldn’t properly identify the assailants because I didn’t actually see their faces, so they weren’t named in my statement. I did name the girls we passed, as they were known to me and I thought they might know who the culprits were.

In the end two youths were arrested, CCTV from the ESB and our Boreen placed them at the scene and showed them running into their homes immediately after the attack. They admitted their guilt to the Gardaí when questioned; they were charged and pleaded guilty in separate trials.

One youth (iron-bar boy) was sentenced to 2-years in jail on 30^th October 2016 for the assault and 34 other charges (yes, it took nearly a year-and-a-half) and the other (hurley boy) got off with Community service and the Probation Act on 28^th December 2016.

Now, this brings me to one of the reasons for posting about this publically.

DADDY’S LITTLE ANGEL

For some reason the judge saw fit to name me and my wife in court during the October trial. Even though our statements didn’t identify anybody and we weren’t called or needed as witnesses (because they both pleaded guilty) the judge decided that we needed to be named and commended for merely doing our civic duty.

The judge also saw fit to remind the guilty party that it was just as well he had pleaded guilty because the evidence was damning and would have resulted in a longer sentence if he had contested the charges.

The judge also asked the media not to name the guilty party as he was underage and still legally a child. Apparently, his mammy hardly looked up from her phone while all this was going on.

Unlike his Mammy, his Daddy didn’t attend any of his son’s trial, but ever since I was named in court Daddy has been telling anyone that cares to listen to him that I got his son jailed and this is something that really needs to be addressed, especially now that his little angel is free to roam the streets again (yes, he barely served 2-months).

This is how one news report described Daddy’s little angel:

“The youth was refused bail at Limerick Children’s Court after being charged with the assault on the boy, as well as 34 other offences, including 17 counts of criminal damage; nine counts of theft; six counts of burglary; and two counts of stealing cars. Despite Garda objections, the defendant was granted High Court bail on 7 December 2015. Three days later while on bail, he attacked and seriously injured a 24-year old man in Debenhams, in the centre of Limerick. The man had to undergo surgery for a fractured cheekbone.”

It was also reported that the man he assaulted while out on bail “had to undergo reconstructive surgery and have a metal plate inserted in his cheek”.

My statement only accounts for one of those 35 charges and it didn’t even identify him. I think it’s safe to say that he was jailed because his actions showed him to be a danger to the public. More importantly, and this is the crux of the matter, I did not raise this boy and he is not my responsibility.

I have my own son’s to raise I and I can tell you this without any doubt in my mind that  if any one of them did what I witnessed those youths doing to another human being , I would be thoroughly ashamed of myself as a father.

No, I am not responsible for this boy getting jail, nor I am responsible for any of his sibling’s getting incarcerated when they were caught for various crimes.  I think Daddy needs to look a little closer to home if he wants to apportion blame.

HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO - IRON-BAR BOY RETURNS

Now, the other reason I decided to post this.  The little angel is free and for the past two Saturdays he has organised drinking sessions at the top of our street, but worse than that he has been giving my wife menacing looks as she drives past.

  

Last Saturday I called the Gardaí, they arrived promptly and the gang (pictured above) ran off into Weston as they drove down our Boreen.

I made a point of going out and talking loudly to the Gardaí as iron-bar boy and pals looked on, hoping that the message would sink in – we are not going to put up with this shit starting again.

Then last night my wife comes home and tells me he’s up there again with two girls drinking and making menacing faces as she drove past. 

As she called the Gardaí I said I’d stroll up and have a look to confirm his identity, by the time I got there their number had increased by 4 (3 of them aged 10 or under).

Words were exchanged, I informed them that they were loitering at a right-of-way, drinking in public and that the Gardaí were on the way.

Iron-bar boy told me that he was doing nothing and could hang around wherever he wanted to.

It was his ‘dindu nuffin’ attitude that prompted me to ask him how he managed to get released after what he had done.

“What I done?” he says “he had a knife and was going to rape a girl”

Wow!

Turns out I was wrong; iron-bar boy was actually a hero defending a damsel in distress.  Not really, this is just the tale he tells to justify his savagery to others.  Funny how he didn’t try and mount a defence of his actions based on his heroic motivations, or do his utmost to ensure that his victim, (a sexual predator according to him) was charged and taken out of circulation.

Oh what a hero. I can only wonder what his true motivations were for breaking my elderly neighbour’s windows in March 2015; perhaps she is really an evil witch that eats children like Hansel and Gretel.  What were his motivations for assaulting an breaking the jaw of a 24-year old man in the city centre (3 days after been released on bail for the assault he committed on my street), maybe his victim was a terrorist about to explode a bomb and but for our hero we’d all be dead.

I’m not saying that there have been no incidences of sexual assault committed by immigrants in Limerick, only last week it was reported by the Limerick Leader that a 19-year old Afghani was charged with sexually assaulting a 17-year-old schoolgirl, such stories help our hero to add a grain of truth to his big lie.

TRUE MOTIVATIONS

Some commentators have claimed that the motivations for the attack on my street were “racial” or “islamophobic” and that the attackers were “fascists” – this is just utter nonsense spouted by identity politics ideologues.  Let me assure that these youths are completely devoid of any ideological beliefs.

There is a commonality shared by all the victims of such gangs roaming around Limerick city. Whether it’s the youth that was beaten on my street, my elderly neighbour getting her windows smashed or a first time visitor to Limerick waking up in Hospital after a savage beating last week. They all have one thing in common, they were vulnerable.

Vulnerability is something that these cowards look for and nothing screams it more than a foreign family or elderly person with absolutely no extended family in the area.  Their only motivation is their own entertainment.

They have absolutely no sense of personal responsibility because their parents never gave it to them. How could they when most of the parents don’t have it themselves?

MAKING A STATEMENT

As usual, I will be making a complaint to the Council Tenants’ Enforcement Office and to the Gardaí, but I am sick of having to make statements all the time.

The Gardaí,  our public representatives (TD’s and Councillors) and Council Officials are more than aware of these youths engaging in anti-social and criminal behaviour; they are privy to the highly detailed anti-social and criminal behaviour logs kept by the Weston Gardens Residents’ Association (WGRA) and have watched the numerous unlisted You Tube videos highlighting the problems.

The WGRA is excluded from participating on the local regeneration committee and attempts to have us included met with a brick wall; seemingly the rules governing the committee are set in stone and cannot be changed to include us at the table. Nevertheless our Councillors were instrumental in arranging for a series of scheduled meetings in 2015 involving the Gardaí and the Council’s Office of Regeneration.

These resulted in the installation of extra street lighting for our Boreen, an extra CCTV camera and the Boreen was painted – all positive developments aimed at improving public safety and security.

The Gardaí have been very supportive, however they have limited resources and their response time ranges from prompt to no-show. We never got the dedicated Garda service promised in the 2007 Fitzgerald Report and today Garda numbers are lower than ever.

The WGRA has no control over Garda numbers, but we did propose to the Council physical works that would greatly enhance the safety and security of our area. Our common sense proposal, “Less Prison….More Park” proposed that the Council could carry out works on public land on a smaller scale than the works they had carried out elsewhere in the Southside Regeneration Area on private land in 2015 - the Council replaced fencing on private property with a more appropriate wall and railings.

The proposal seemed to send every one running for cover, especially our Councillors.

The Gardaí and the Council’s Tenants Enforcement Office continued to work with us and by August 2016 it looked like we might be seeing an end to our troubles – the gangs had been moved on and residents could use the right-of-way and our Boreen without fear of harassment and intimidation.

Now iron-bar boy is back on the streets and it looks like it’s all going to kick off again. During his trial Gardaí had described him as the “ringleader” of the group, and said that he showed “little remorse for any of his victims”.

Are residents going to have to go back to checking our Boreen to make that the coast is clear whenever we are expecting guests or a loved one returning home from school or work? I don’t have to tell the Council officials and our public representatives how bad it was for us, they are well informed. The question is what are they going to do about?

The Council seem intent on ignoring any suggestions or proposals that would improve the safety and security of residents. Their poor interpretation of the phrase “passive security” has led to a ridiculous “open spaces” policy that actually encourages and facilitates anti-social behaviour. The Clarina Park site for example:

Of course there may be a conflict of interest for the Council when it comes to making the areas safer. Their 2014 Limerick Framework Implementation Plan has red-lined many occupied homes for demolition and there is little incentive for homeowners to part with their property for a pittance if they feel safe and secure in their homes.

I don’t know what can be done about these youths and their carry on. Maybe an outreach programme aimed at teaching them personal responsibility rather than blaming others for their situation and after a few years they might be transformed into something resembling a decent human being. I really don’t care about that to be honest because what’s really needed is some law and order; intensive policing in the immediate to challenge and prevent their behaviour.

Finally, just a note about making an actual statement to the Gardaí; It is not enough to simply give the names and address of your tormentors to the Garda and have it written down in a Garda note book. The Garda has to take a formal statement from you, which both of you sign. This obliges the Garda to take appropriate action based on your statement, whereas the contents of the notebook may never be pursued. And remember, you have no more than 6-months from the time an incident occurs to make a statement.

RELATED ARTICLES:

Note: some of the articles below report that the victim of the attack on my street “was initially hit with a stone, which knocked him to the ground…” this not what I saw and I don’t know why it was reported. Some of the article try to imply that the family were refugees; they are not, they immigrated here legally, they have their own means and are not dependent on the state

Teenage immigrant beaten with hurleys in Limerick city (Limerick Leader - 8 Oct 2016): http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/home/218914/teenage-refugee-beaten-with-hurleys-in-limerick-city.html

Teenager beaten unconscious with hurleys two weeks after coming to Ireland (thejournal.ie – 7 Oct 2016): http://www.thejournal.ie/limerick-attack-2-3016007-Oct2016/

Savage hurley attack on young son made immigrant family want to return to war-torn home (Irish Examiner – 7 Oct 2016): http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/savage-hurley-attack-on-young-son-made-immigrant-family-want-to-return-to-war-torn-home-758296.html

Teen who attacked Middle Eastern boy with hurley sentenced to 18 months detention (thejournal.ie – 30 Oct 2016): http://www.thejournal.ie/limerick-judgement-3054789-Oct2016/

Student, 19, in 'unprovoked' attack on first visit to Limerick (Limerick Leader - 10 Feb 2017): http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/home/234653/student-19-in-unprovoked-attack-in-first-visit-to-limerick.html

Afghan national charged with a sexual assault on a teenage girl in Limerick (Live 95fm - 06 Feb 2017): https://www.live95fm.ie/news/afghan-national-charged-with-a-sexual-assault-on-t/

WGRA Proposal “Less Prison…More Park”:  https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9z5COB-ZuR2b3RzS0JEbzJEeENhTEd6QUxOZ052TnU3cHNr/view?usp=sharing