Six-year jail term for ‘cowardly, savage’ attack on homeless man
Eimear Dodd
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 (then 19) assaulted Damien Merrigan (then 49), who sustained serious injuries, including head and facial fractures at Aston Quay on September 7th, 2023.
Merrigan fell to the ground unconscious following the assault and was in Beaumont Hospital for seven days for treatment.
A medical report read to the court stated that “major force” is required to fracture skull and facial bones.
Murray (22) of Woodhazel Terrace, Ballymun, Dublin 11, pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm on September 7th, 2023 at Aston Quay, Dublin 2.
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.
Merrigan, who was homeless, died in July 2025 of unrelated causes.
Tessa White, prosecuting, previously told Judge Jonathan Dunphy that the prosecution is not making the case that Merrigan’s death is connected to the assault in 2023.
Imposing sentence on Friday, Judge Dunphy noted that the victim was still homeless at the time of his death and 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.
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. He noted that while this was a one punch assault, an implement was used to strike the blow, and this 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”.
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. He said the court accepted Murray’s expression of remorse as genuine.
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.
Judge Dunphy suspended the final two years of the eight-year sentence on strict conditions for three years including probation supervision and that Murray complete an alternatives to violence programme while in custody.
The judge directed that this sentence should run consecutive to the sentence Murray is currently serving.
Detective Garda Joseph Heaphy previously 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.
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 10 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 10 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 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”. 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.
