A SERIAL criminal offender was jailed for four years after pleading guilty to robbing two female students, violently assaulting one of them, in Limerick City.
One of the woman wrote in a victim impact statement read on her behalf at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court: “I want to be able to go into town and not be terrified of being assaulted.”
The other victim, who sustained a head injury in the attack, said she was left in fear following the violent robbery at Todd’s Bow in Limerick City on October 13, 2023.
The sentencing judge, Tom O’Donnell, jailed the perpetrator, David Hughes, for four years for robbing a mobile phone and a bank card belonging to one of the women.
Judge O’Donnell imposed a concurrent two-year sentence on Mr Hughes after he admitted assaulting the woman causing her harm. The court heard that Mr Hughes pushed the woman who fell against a steel bollard and sustained an open wound to the rear of her skull.
Hughes was given an additional concurrent four-year sentence after he admitted attempting to rob the other women.
Hughes (37), of Sarsfield Gardens, Moyross, had 86 previous convictions, Limerick Circuit Court heard.
The two student victims had been waiting for a taxi at 2.20am on the night in question when Hughes, a known drug addict, approached them and asked them for money.
Both women “politely” refused Hughes’ request and he left, prosecuting counsel Lily Buckley BL, told the court.
However, Hughes returned, and as he tried to rob one of the women, grabbing her handbag, the other woman stepped in to help and Hughes pushed her. Her head “slammed” against a pole, causing it to bleed, and an ambulance was called.
One of the women wrote in a victim impact statement shared in the court about how Hughes became violent with her, stating that “there was blood dripping down along my neck” after her head connected with the pole.
“I had nightmares afterwards,” she wrote.
“My parents worry for me every time I go into the city and I can’t enjoy going out anymore.”
The other women wrote in her impact statement: “I think about how the man had no issue hurting two girls and would have no issue hurting anybody.”
“I want to be able to go into town and not be terrified of being assaulted. This man had no regard for the pain he inflicts on anybody.”
Hughes was returned for trial on April 16 this year and pleaded guilty to all charges on May 9.
He was previously jailed for three years in November 2021 on an attempted robbery offence and was released in February 2023, eight months prior to the attack and robbery of the two students.
Hughes’ barrister said that he “was in the throws of a long-standing drug problem at the time. It in no way minimises his very appalling behaviour, and he is truly sorry for what he did.”
“He has children aged two to 17 years of age. He wishes to apologise to both injured partners, it was very nasty, his conduct was appalling and shameful.”
Judge O’Donnell said it was a “very nasty incident” and that both victims had merely been out for the night “enjoying themselves”.
“It is disturbing there was an element of premeditation on the part of (Hughes); he had gone away and he came back; the attack was at night; violence was used; and injuries were caused,” Judge O’Donnell said.
Hughes’ guilty plea was of “enormous benefit as it alleviated the fears of the two victims … They do not have to come to court to face the rigors of a trial and the trauma that would have compounded”, the judge said.
Judge O’Donnell added that certificates of courses Hughes had engaged with while he waited in custody while on remand for his case to be finalised illustrated how Hughes was “making use of his time in jail”.
Jailing Hughes for four years, Judge O’Donnell warned: “Far too many of these incidents are taking place in the city at night and a very strong message must go out.”
On the same day, Judge O’Donnell imposed suspended sentences on first time offenders Cathal Crotty (22), of Ardnacrusha, County Clare, and, Aaron Holland (19), Marian Rd, Templemore, County Tipperary, for separate violent attacks on defenceless victims, which occurred late at night in Limerick City.
