An English tourist remains in a critical condition in hospital after being punched in the head in Dublin’s city centre over the weekend.
A man in his 30s will appear in court today in relation to the incident which happened on D’Olier Street about 2.30am yesterday.
The 24-year-old victim had been socialising with friends in the area when it is understood they were approached by another male.
During an argument the Englishman was struck once in the head before falling to the ground.
He was treated at the scene before being taken to St James’s Hospital where he remained in a critical condition last night.
The man, who is from London, is being treated for serious head injuries. His family have also been notified and are understood to have travelled to Dublin yesterday.
An investigation was launched and gardaí, with the help of witnesses and good-quality CCTV footage from the area, identified a suspect.
In the early hours of yesterday they applied for a court warrant to search the suspect’s Kildare home.
He was arrested during a follow-up operation and detained on suspicion of assault under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.
Gardaí questioned the man, who is in his 30s, for several hours and yesterday afternoon he was charged in relation to the assault.
He is expected to appear before Dublin District Court at the Criminal Courts of Justice, Parkgate Street, this morning.
A Garda spokesman said they continued to appeal for witnesses, or anyone with footage, to come forward.
A forensic examination of the scene was completed yesterday as part of the garda inquiry.
It is the latest serious assault in the Dublin city centre in recent weeks.
The previous weekend, Evan Somers (23) was assaulted on Dame Street and left with a fractured eye socket and a dislocated ankle.
Less than an hour earlier, an Italian man was assaulted nearby by a group in an unprovoked attack. Gardaí are investigating whether these men also “joined in” on the attack on Mr. Somers around 40 minutes later.
Meanwhile, a man aged in his 20s is in a serious condition in hospital after being assaulted in Co Donegal. He was attacked in the Emmet Park area of Castlefin just before midnight on Saturday. A man, aged in his 30s, was arrested at the scene and is being questioned at Letterkenny Garda Station.
News courtesy: Independent.ie