Alex Coughlan died from traumatic head injuries after Blanchardstown assault, court hears

A post-mortem found Alex Coughlan, 37, died from traumatic head and neck injuries after an assault in Blanchardstown. Two teenage boys have been charged and refused bail.

Post-mortem reveals traumatic head and neck injuries in Blanchardstown assault death

A post-mortem has confirmed that Alex Coughlan, 37, died as a result of traumatic head injuries following a violent assault in Blanchardstown last month, RTÉ News reports.

Mr Coughlan was found unconscious on Mill Road on 17 May. He was taken to hospital in a critical condition and pronounced dead three days later.

Two boys, aged 16 and 17, were charged shortly after his death in connection with the incident. They face charges of causing serious harm under section 4 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, as well as robbery of his bank cards and a €300 gold ring.

Because both defendants are minors, they cannot be named. They were refused bail at the District Court on 20 May. The younger boy made a fresh bail application before Mr Justice Sean Gillane in the High Court in Cloverhill, which was also denied.

Injuries consistent with a sustained attack

Garda Sergeant Emma Ryan, objecting to bail, told the court that the post-mortem recorded traumatic head injuries as the cause of death. She said Mr Coughlan had additional injuries to his neck, as well as scrapes to his knees and elbows — evidence, she submitted, that he had been on his knees during the attack. He had "no defensive injuries."

The court heard he suffered severe bruising, and that there was evidence of suffocation and choking. Sergeant Ryan agreed with Keith Branagan BL, for the State, that the assault was sustained and that footage of the incident was available.

She told the court the meeting had been arranged under false pretences for the purpose of robbery and extortion, and that no other motive had been identified. Mr Coughlan was walking along the road when the pair blocked his path. A witness reported seeing him on his knees "crying and pleading to the two males."

His AIB and Revolut cards were used in local shops within minutes of the assault. A gold ring given to him by his father was also taken.

Sergeant Ryan confirmed a file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions with a view to bringing a more serious charge.

Bail denied despite defence submissions

Defence counsel Ronan Prendergast BL, instructed by solicitor Brian Keenan, submitted that there were no messages exchanged between his client and Mr Coughlan. He told the court the boy, who had been attending school, was accompanied by his father, who had €1,000 available as surety. Counsel said his client would comply with conditions and engage with a bail supervision scheme linked to the juvenile justice system.

Mr Justice Gillane noted the objections and refused bail. He said the boy had to be aware that Mr Coughlan had been left "prone, injured and bloodied."

Source: RTÉ News