A teenage boy has been sentenced to two years and four months in detention following an unprovoked assault that left a teenage boy fighting for his life in Sligo on Halloween night in 2023.
Two other teenage boys received suspended detention sentences, while a fourth teenage boy received a 12-month probation order at Sligo Circuit Court.
Two teenage friends, aged 14 and 16 at the time, were set upon by four other teenage boys outside a service station on Mail Coach Road in Sligo on 31 October 2023.
Mr Justice Kenneth Connolly said it was an unprovoked, callous and savage attack on an innocent victim with very significant consequences.
The court was told that the 14-year-old boy was hit three times with a metal implement and kicked while on the ground and that he was left for dead.
He suffered a very significant brain injury. His skull was fractured, he underwent surgery and had six titanium clips inserted permanently in his head.
He needed long periods of hospital treatment, speech and language therapy, counselling and support with fatigue management.
All four teenage boys who were convicted today cannot be named due to their age. Three of the boys are aged 16 and one is 15 years old.
They were forwarded to Sligo Circuit Court on signed guilty pleas.
The mothers of the four youths spoke in court today, apologised to the victims and their families and asked the judge for leniency for their children.
Compensation offered was turned down by the victims' families.
Judge Connolly referred to CCTV footage of the assault, victim impact statements and medical records provided to the courts in his judgment.
Judge Connolly sentenced one of the teenage boys to two years and four months' detention in Oberstown Children's Detention Centre.
He handed two of the boys a one-year detention sentence and an eight-month detention sentence suspended for one year.
He also imposed a probation order for 12 months on the fourth teenage boy.
The three boys will be under the supervision of the probation service with strict conditions.
Some of the terms of the probation request include that the three teenage boys have no contact with victims and their families, continue to engage in education and obey a 9am - 6pm curfew.
