Construction firm boss jailed for hitting boy (12) with glass bottle in the face

Joseph Barrett (46) from Ashwood Avenue in Clondalkin, Dublin was sentenced to 12 months in prison at Dublin Circuit Court earlier this month after pleading guilty to the attack on the boy, who was left with a litany of injuries including a broken nose, damaged eye sockets, severe facial bruising and bleeding to his eyes.

The boy, who is now 17, gave a victim impact statement detailing how the attack changed his life

“Apart from the physical injuries sustained the mostly catastrophic damage was that to my mental wellbeing and this is something I must manage on a daily basis and continue to do so,” the victim impact statement said.

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The attack took place on October 14, 2018 when the boy was visiting his grandparents, who lives near Barrett.

A bottle had come over the wall into Barrett’s garden and Barrett got into a car with another man, drove around and confronted the victim — who was with another boy — before getting a bottle and hitting him in the face with it. He also kicked him in the ribs during the attack.

Another man who was with Barrett warned the other boy present ‘you run or you’re next’.

Gardai were called to the scene and Barrett told them: “I’ve done wrong haven’t I?”

The man who was with him during the attack subsequently died and Barrett later tried to falsely claim it was that other man who carried out the attack on the 12-year-old.

Barrett finally admitted he carried out the attack when he pleaded guilty last October as a jury was due to be sworn in.

The victim told the court how he spent significant time in hospital and had to have surgery on his nose after the attack. He said: “These events were the beginning of extreme anxiety, constant feeling of being overwhelmed, a fear of violence breaking out at any given moment. Up until this incident I had never experienced violence in any form.

“The actions of Mr Barrett on that fateful day have greatly affected my life since he committed this crime.

“I still feeling angry and sad about this attack and wonder what my years through secondary school would have looked like had this not of happened to me. Would I be a more confident and independent had this not have happened to me.”