Two men mugged a “vulnerable man” and gave him a severe beating before robbing him of just €4.
Victim Daniel Byrne was dragged to the ground outside a shop in Co Donegal and beaten severely.
Mr Byrne, 53, who was in the care of the HSE, was left lying on the ground as his two attackers walked casually away from the scene.
Stephen Scott, aged 25, and his co-accused Patrick Sweeney, aged 21, appeared before Letterkenny Circuit Court charged with robbing the victim.
The court heard how the pair had been drinking heavily on the evening they attacked and robbed Mr Byrne outside Simpson’s Supermarket at Glencar, Letterkenny on October 28th, last year.
Footage from CCTV cameras showed clear images of the horrific mugging which took place just after 9pm.
Paddy Sweeney at an earlier sitting of Letterkenny Circuit Court. (North West Newspixc)
The footage shows the two men chasing Mr Byrne before they pull him to the ground.
They then proceed to kick him and beat him severely for a sustained period of time.
The victim eventually managed to get up off the ground and was helped by shocked passers-by.
Garda Frank McDaid told the court that a member of the public had contacted Letterkenny Garda station to say a man was being mugged.
They arrived five minutes later and although they found blood on the ground, there was no victim in sight.
Garda McDaid called to Simpson’s Supermarket the next day to gather CCTV footage and happened to come across the victim.
He admitted he had been attacked the previous night and Gardai took him to Letterkenny University Hospital for treatment.
The victim had not contacted Gardai and did not visit the hospital after the attack.
“I didn’t want to waste their time and I’m okay overall,” he told Gardai.
A statement from Dr Adam Leslie Howard said the victim had received multiple injuries as a result of an attack.
His injuries included wounds on his head, arms and shoulders after being struck multiple times during an attack.
Barrister for Scott, of Meadowbank, Letterkenny, Ms Fiona Crawford, said her client had a severe issue with alcohol and drugs.
She added that her client was due to start a rehabilitation course days after this incident and had gone on a binge.
Scott took to the witness stand where he apologised to his victim.
Barrister for Sweeney, of Birchill Upper, Letterkenny, Mr Peter Nolan said the CCTV fitness shown in court was truly appalling.
“The day we all stop being shocked by footage like that is the day we all need to give up,” he said.
He added that his client also had a drink problem.
Sweeney himself took to the stand to apologise to Mr Byrne who was not in court and who declined to give a victim impact statement.
He said “We all seen CCTV footage – what happened to Daniel Byrne should not have happened to anyone. I’d like to say sorry and it should never have happened. When I saw it I felt guilty because I know what happened to Daniel Byrne should never happen to anyone.
“I have remorse. On that night I knew I had done something but I was heavily intoxicated and that’s why I handed myself into the barracks.
“I have trouble sleeping thinking about what I done. The only time I don’t think about it is when I’m studying in school.”
Judge John Aylmer adjourned the case until Friday for sentencing.