Dart inspector terrified by attack, court hears

[Jack O'Neill]

Article Evening Herald
Thursday June 23 2011

A YOUNG man carried out an attack on Dart ticket inspector with a beer can that left the rail worker too frightened to return to work for a month, a court has heard.

Des Hutton (26) is alleged to have been issued with a fine for travelling without a ticket hours before hurling a beer can at the inspector, striking him on the eye.

A co-accused man, Derek Byrne (23), is accused of headbutting a second Iarnrod Eireann officer on the bridge of the nose in the same incident at a north Dublin Dart station.

They have both denied they committed the assaults or were issued with fines at all on the day of the incident.

Byrne, of Donaghmede Park, pleaded not guilty at Dublin District Court to common assault on Derek McGraynor at Howth Junction station on April 29, 2009.

Hutton, with an address at Redmond's Court, Kilbarrack, denied a more serious charge of assault causing harm to Barry Wall.

Judge Aingeal Ni Chonduin adjourned the case for a month after hearing evidence for the prosecution.

Mr Wall told the court he was on duty with colleagues at 4pm at the Howth station when he allegedly came across the two accused, who were on the platform without tickets.

Shouted

At 9pm he was getting a train back to the city from Howth Junction when one of a group of five people asked him for a light for a cigarette.

There was then "a bit of banter" from the group, who said they were "not going to pay" the €50 fine they had got earlier in the day.

He alleged Byrne took a can of Budweiser from his pocket after putting his head close to Mr McGraynor.

He said Mr Byrne then "stitched Mr McGraynor a loaf".

Mr Wall got on to the train and cans of Budweiser came flying towards the door.

One hit a glass panel beside his head and he shouted at Mr McGraynor to get on. He alleged Mr Byrne charged towards him and he stopped him with his foot.

He alleged Hutton threw a can of beer, hitting him in the right eye. He was bruised and began getting headaches when he went home, so he went to Beaumont Hospital. By the early hours of the morning he had not been treated so he went home and was prescribed painkillers by his GP.

His black eye got worse and he stayed off work because he could not approach the public.

"I didn't feel like going back to work at that stage, I was afraid," Mr Wall said.