Teen carried out unprovoked assault on man in Dublin city centre, courts hears

Eimear Dodd

A teenager carried out an unprovoked one-punch assault on a man in Dublin city centre almost three years ago, a court has heard.

Shane Murray (then 19) assaulted Damien Merrigan (then 49), who sustained serious injuries, including head and facial fractures.

Merrigan remained in Beaumont Hospital for seven days. A medical report read to the court stated that “major force” is required to fracture the skull and facial bones.

Murray, of Woodhazel Terrace, Ballymun, Dublin 11 pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm on September 7th, 2023.

Merrigan, who was homeless, died in July 2025. Tessa White, prosecuting barrister, told Judge Jonathan Dunphy on Tuesday that the prosecution is not making the case that Merrigan’s death is connected to the assault in 2023.

Detective Garda Joseph Heaphy told Tessa White, prosecuting, that he and a colleague were on patrol in the Aston Quay area when they came across Merrigan on the ground, bleeding heavily from his ear and coming in and out of consciousness.

CCTV of the incident was played to the court. Det Gda Heaphy said that Murray can be seen placing something on his hand before the assault, but gardaí cannot determine what this was.

Murray then walked away and was observed on O’Connell Bridge looking at the scene of the assault by a garda.

Murray was identified from CCTV. He left the jurisdiction, returning voluntarily in 2024. He engaged in an interview with gardaí, but asked for all his answers to be recorded as ‘no comment’ at the end of the process.

Murray was on bail at the time of this incident. He has 81 previous convictions, including for drugs offences, violent disorder, assault causing harm, theft, road traffic matters, and possession of a mobile phone while in custody.

Det Gda Heaphy agreed with Philipp Rahn, defending, that his client’s father was convicted of murder when he was an infant and that he had no father figure at home growing up.

It was further accepted that Murray went off the rails after getting into difficulties with drugs and falling in with a bad crowd.

Rahn also asked Det Gda Heaphy to confirm that Murray’s best friend was killed in August 2022. The garda said he was aware of the case but was unaware of Murray’s friendship.

White told the court that the DPP places this offence into the sentencing range of ten to 15 years due to the unprovoked nature of the assault, the use of an implement during the course of the assault, and that the assault was to the head of the injured party.

Rahn submitted that the case falls into the upper end of the sentencing band of four to ten years. He noted that while this was “clearly unprovoked”, it was also a one-punch assault.

Murray left school early and worked for a time as a baker. His mother was in court to support him.

Rahn said his instructions are that Murray fell in with a bad crowd, started to take pills, then moved onto cannabis and later crack cocaine.

He said the death of Murray’s friend had a significant impact on him and he “lost his mind at that stage”. Rahn said his instructions are that Murray was on drugs at the time of the offence and has no memory of it.

He said his client wished to express his deep remorse and regret to the injured party and to society at large. Rahn asked the court to take into account his client’s youth, guilty plea and background.

Judge Dunphy said he wished to consider the case before finalising it. Remanding Murray in continuing custody, he adjourned the case until Friday, August 17th.