A man who carried out a “savage” and unprovoked one-punch assault on a homeless man in Dublin city centre almost three years ago has been jailed for six years.
Shane Murray, who was then aged 19, assaulted Damien Merrigan, then aged 49, at Aston Quay on 7 September 2023, with Merrigan sustaining serious injuries including head and facial fractures, reports Breaking News.
Merrigan fell to the ground unconscious following the assault and spent seven days in Beaumont Hospital for treatment.
A medical report read to the court stated that “major force” is required to fracture skull and facial bones, reports Breaking News.
Murray, now aged 22, of Woodhazel Terrace, Ballymun, Dublin 11, pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm at Aston Quay, Dublin 2 on 7 September 2023.
Murray was on bail at the time of the incident and 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, reports Breaking News.
Merrigan, who was homeless, died in July 2025 of unrelated causes.
The prosecution previously told Judge Jonathan Dunphy that the prosecution is not making the case that Merrigan’s death is connected to the 2023 assault, reports Breaking News.
Imposing sentence on Friday, Judge Dunphy noted that the victim was still homeless at the time of his death and was “a very vulnerable man at that time, struggling through life.”
He said the court had viewed the CCTV footage, which showed Murray putting something on his hand before striking Merrigan, reports Breaking News.
The judge said the court inferred from Murray’s “slight build” and the serious injuries sustained by the victim that “an implement of some sort was used” by the defendant, noting that while this was a one-punch assault, an implement was used to strike the blow, which was aggravating.
He noted the unprovoked nature of the assault and that Merrigan was vulnerable and had “no opportunity to defend himself against a cowardly, savage attack,” reports Breaking News.
The judge said it was also aggravating that Murray left the scene, did not attempt to assist Merrigan after the assault and later left the jurisdiction, “highlighting a disregard for the victim and criminal justice system.”
Judge Dunphy noted in mitigation that Murray returned voluntarily and handed himself in to gardaí, his difficult background, addiction issues and guilty pleas, accepting Murray’s expression of remorse as genuine, reports Breaking News.
Imposing a sentence of eight years, the judge noted that Murray is “still a young man who has an appalling list of previous convictions and who must change his ways upon release.”
The judge noted that Murray still has the “majority of his life ahead of him” and that without making “remarkable changes” he may spend more time in custody, reports Breaking News.
Judge Dunphy suspended the final two years of the eight-year sentence on strict conditions for three years, including probation supervision and completion of an alternatives to violence programme while in custody.
The judge directed that this sentence should run consecutive to the sentence Murray is currently serving, reports Breaking News.
Detective Garda Joseph Heaphy previously told the court 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, with Detective Garda Heaphy saying Murray can be seen placing something on his hand before the assault, though gardaí cannot determine what this was, reports Breaking News.
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 and left the jurisdiction, returning voluntarily in 2024, reports Breaking News.
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.
Detective Garda Heaphy agreed with the defence that Murray’s father was convicted of murder when he was an infant and that he had no father figure at home growing up, with it further accepted that Murray went off the rails after getting into difficulties with drugs and falling in with a bad crowd, reports Breaking News.
The defence also asked the garda to confirm that Murray’s best friend was killed in August 2022, with the garda saying he was aware of the case but unaware of Murray’s friendship.
The prosecution told the court that the DPP places this offence into the sentencing range of 10 to 15 years due to the unprovoked nature of the assault, the use of an implement and the fact the assault was to the head of the victim, reports Breaking News.
The defence submitted that the case falls into the upper end of the sentencing band of four to 10 years, noting 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, with his mother present in court to support him, reports Breaking News.
The defence said Murray fell in with a bad crowd, started taking pills, then moved on to 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,” with the defence adding that Murray was on drugs at the time of the offence and has no memory of it, reports Breaking News.
He said his client wished to express his deep remorse and regret to the injured party and to society at large, and asked the court to take into account his client’s youth, guilty plea and background, reports Breaking News.
Tell us your thoughts in the Facebook post and share this with your friends.
