Two men face charges upgrade over 'ferocious' Temple Bar attack

Tom Tuite

An MMA fighter and a chef accused of a "ferocious" attack in Dublin's Temple Bar in February that left a man fighting for his life have had their case upgraded to more serious charges.

The severely injured male spent weeks in hospital, and was only identified from a media appeal when gardaí released a photograph of a distinctive tattoo on his arm.

Dublin District Court heard that he was discovered on Cope Street in the early hours of February 16th after being punched, kicked to his face and body, and having an e-scooter dropped on his head.

Dominic Smith, 36, and 29-year-old Leonel Ricci were brought before Judge Máire Conneely at Dublin District Court on February 23rd, when they were refused bail and were remanded in custody.

Unemployed chef Smith of Hunters Green, Pollerton Big, Co Carlow, and trained mixed martial artist Ricci, an Argentinian with no fixed address in Dublin, were both charged initially with assault causing harm.

However, the case resumed on Thursday with Judge Conneely noting that they had been further charged with causing serious harm to the complainant, under section 4 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, which carries a possible life sentence.

They remain in custody and will appear again later on separate dates to be served with the books of evidence and returned to the Circuit Court for trial.

Smith has made a fresh bail application, which has been partly heard and awaits a ruling.

An earlier bail hearing was told that the injured man was not known to either of the accused.

Garda Michael Moore told Judge Conneely on Thursday that the complainant remembered two males approaching him.

"His next memory was waking up in hospital four weeks later," Garda Moore added.

At an earlier hearing, Detective Garda Gráinne Collier and Garda Moore had said it was an unprovoked attack. The court heard that the injured man arrived at Cope Street on an e-scooter and went to park it at a bike stand.

Ricci went up to him, they had a conversation, then shook hands and separated.

Two minutes later, it was alleged that the two defendants went over and that Ricci lunged and punched the victim several times to the face, leaving him "no chance to defend himself".

The court heard the man was held down by Ricci, who allegedly punched him for 20 seconds. Garda Moore alleged that Smith stamped on his face and kicked him four times in the head as he was "pinned" on the ground.

Detective Garda Collier stated that Ricci took the man’s e-scooter and "smashed it down on the victim's face".

She also told the court that the out-of-work Argentinian national, who claimed to be an MMA professional, was also trained in jiu jitsu, muay thai, wrestling, and boxing.

It was claimed that he took the man’s arm and "snapped it back" and that he gave the victim a football-style kick to the head.

Detective Garda Collier alleged that Ricci believed the man was a drug dealer who had sold heroin to a girl, and he used his MMA skills because he thought dealers were killing people every day.

The court heard that a witness heard Ricci shouting: "No more drugs".

Following the five-and-a-half-minute incident, an ambulance brought the man to St James's Hospital, but his condition deteriorated, and he was transferred to Beaumont Hospital.

Garda Moore said the victim was not recognisable because of his facial injuries, and identification came after the image of his tattoo was circulated in the media. He suffered multiple facial fractures, a broken arm, and a 15cm laceration to the back of his head.

The garda said Smith, who has lived and worked as a chef in France, England and Spain, had been drinking on the day and did not recall the incident.

The officer feared that the defendant's previous work abroad meant he would have contacts and means to flee the jurisdiction.

Ricci's deceased father was from Ireland; he came here in November to train in MMA, and he had a "life-long ambition of becoming a garda".

Luke O'Higgins, instructed by solicitor Peter Keatings, argued that the co-accused, Smith, would abide by strict bail.

He acknowledged that the allegation had been "upgraded" but submitted that his client had no history of serious offending, and was on social welfare.

Counsel said that Smith, a father of one, was an enhanced prisoner on remand and working in the prison officer's mess kitchen, and wished to attend an alcohol abuse treatment centre.