A man who procured an attack on a young woman that resulted in her losing vision permanently in one eye had harassed her on several occasions beforehand, she has told a court.
Jack Cummins (21), with an address at Rossmore Road, Ballyfermot, pleaded guilty to procuring the commission of assault causing serious harm to Alanna Quinn Idris on Ballyfermot Road on December 30th, 2021.
It is the prosecution case he did so by making two phone calls to his cousin Josh Cummins (20).
Ms Quinn Idris , who was 17 at the time, was struck in the face with the saddle of an electric scooter, which fractured her eye socket and left her permanently blind in her right eye. Her friend Louis O’Sullivan was also assaulted during the incident.
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Jack Cummins further pleaded to violent disorder and assault causing harm. He has no previous convictions.
Two other men have already been sentenced for their roles in the attack on Ms Quinn Idris and her friend, Mr O’Sullivan. A fourth man, who hit Ms Quinn Idris with the e-scooter saddle, has never been identified.
On Tuesday, Sgt Michael Noonan told Edward Doocey, prosecuting, that the two injured parties and a friend had taken a bus from Liffey Valley Shopping Centre.
Jack Cummins and his girlfriend were on the same bus and there were no verbal interactions between the parties.
After they all got off the bus on the Ballyfermot Road, there was a verbal exchange between Jack Cummins and Mr O’Sullivan.
Mr Doocey said the State’s case is that Jack Cummins procured the commission of the assault on Ms Quinn Idris by making two phone calls to Josh Cummins after this interaction and receiving one.
He told the court that a “tacit agreement” could be inferred from the evidence. He also noted the presence of weapons and the outnumbering of the injured parties meant, “there was always a risk that more than minor harm could be caused”.
Mr Doocey submitted to the court that this agreement was formed before the four men interacted with the injured parties.
Jack Cummins was not physically involved in the assault of Ms Quinn Idris, but did strike Mr O’Sullivan.
The attack lasted one minute and stopped when passing motorists intervened. The four men then left the scene.
Mr O’Sullivan was treated in hospital for a cut to his head and a puncture wound to his arm, which required stitches. He also had bruising and tenderness.
Ms Quinn Idris underwent emergency surgery that night as she sustained a broken eye socket. She has since had numerous reconstructive surgeries to her right eye socket and a bone graft taken from her hip. She has lost vision permanently in one eye, the court heard.
Photos of her injuries and medical reports were handed to the court.
Darragh Lyons (21) of Weir View, Glenaulin, Chapelizod, Dublin 20, pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm to Ms Quinn Idris; assault causing harm to her friend Mr O’Sullivan; and violent disorder on the Ballyfermot Road on December 30th, 2021. He was given a sentence of 4½ years in March 2023.
Josh Cummins (20) of Raheen Drive, Ballyfermot, received a five-year sentence, with the final two years suspended in November 2023 for his role in the incident.
He pleaded guilty to intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to Ms Quinn Idris. He further pleaded guilty to violent disorder, production of an article, a hurl, in the course of a dispute and to assault causing harm to Mr O’Sullivan.
Reading her victim impact statement to the court, Ms Quinn Idris said she is now “permanently facially disfigured” due to the attack.
She said this was “not just a random incident between strangers” and told the court there had been other unpleasant encounters between them in the past.
She said she believed Jack Cummins “would harass and target me so often because he did not like me”.
Later, she said she felt “so angry” as “none of this would have happened if he hadn’t made those calls that night”.
Evidence was heard that Jack Cummins and Ms Quinn Idris were known to each other. She had several earlier unpleasant encounters with him, some of which became physical.
In one of these incidents, he threw eggs at her and on another occasion, he pushed her to the ground after putting her in a headlock. The court heard this second incident occurred years before the events of December 30th, 2021.
Sgt Noonan said it appeared this past engagement was why Mr O’Sullivan spoke to Jack Cummins after they got off the bus, saying: “Do you like putting girls in a headlock.”
Mr Doocey said it is the prosecution’s case that Jack Cummins made phone calls to his cousin as a result of this conversation, which led to the three other men arriving at the scene.
Keith Spencer, defending, said his client acknowledges he made the phone calls, but “did not intend the consequences which flowed – they are unfortunate and unforeseen”. He said there was no long-standing pre-mediation, but that it occurred in the moment.
He said his client maintains his decision was made out of fear as he had been threatened and challenged by Mr O’Sullivan.
Mr Spencer noted the probation report assesses his client at low risk of reoffending.
His client is engaged to his girlfriend who was present on the night and has a good work history. A number of testimonials were handed to the court.
Mr Spencer suggested his client has “perfect mitigation” and his behaviour on the night was “out of character”.
Jack Cummins read out a letter of apology to Ms Quinn Idris. He said he was truly sorry, wished he could turn back the clock and wished her well in her recovery.
Judge Pauline Codd said the court wanted to consider everything that it had heard. She adjourned the case to July 29th for finalisation and remanded Jack Cummins on continuing bail.
