Tallaght teen left boy with brain bleed

By Sonya McClean

A teenager who left a schoolboy with life-threatening injuries, including a bleed on the brain, after taking €1 from him has been jailed.

Sean Rausch (18) was also sentenced for seven other offences, including muggings, attempted robberies and numerous driving offences arising out of a high-speed garda chase.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard he drove the stolen car on three wheels while leading eight patrol cars and a garda helicopter on a high-speed chase.

He was unlawfully at large at the time having previously been arrested for his part in the mugging and attempted mugging of two groups of schoolboys. The serious assault on another schoolboy occurred the same day as the robberies.

The 17-year-old victim of the attack was left with life-threatening injuries from a brain bleed after he fell to the ground following a thump to his face and a subsequent kick to his head. He also had a fractured jaw, broken eye socket, a number of broken teeth and was missing skin from his chin.

The assault, carried out by both Rausch and another teenager, occurred a month before the victim’s Leaving Certificate but he managed to sit his exams with assistance. His jaw was wired shut for eight weeks and he still doesn’t have full use of his mouth.

Rausch of Cushlawn Park, Tallaght, Dubliln pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two attempted robberies in Old Bawn Tallaght on April 22, 2015, two robberies at The Square Shopping Centre, Tallaght on April 29, 2015; taking possession of a Hyundai Santa Fe knowing it was stolen, handling stolen car keys, endangerment and dangerous driving in the Tallaght area on May 26, 2015.

He also pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm to the schoolboy, on the same day of the robberies, in the Old Bawn area of Tallaght. He initially denied this charge and elected for trial.

He has 42 previous convictions which were all dealt with in the District Court and included 14 for robbery, burglary, sexual assault and assault.

Judge Melanie Greally had previously sentenced Rausch to two-and-a-half years for the robberies.

On Thursday last week she sentenced him to a consecutive term of three years on an endangerment charge arising out of the car chase, increasing the term to five-and-a-half years. She also sentenced him to five years for the assault which will run alongside the other term.

Judge Greally suspended the final 12 months of the jail term on strict conditions.

Garnet Orange SC, defending said his client had been drug free since November 2015 and was very pleased with the progress he had made. He said Rausch acknowledged the injury and emotional trauma he caused the 17-year-old.

Counsel said Rausch had a dysfunctional childhood during which he was subjected to violence and parental drug abuse. He had limited ability to read and write, think logically or make decisions.

He acknowledged that his client was at a high risk at re-offending, but said he now expressed a desire to do a Leaving Certificate and do mechanical engineering.

“These are good signs coming from a dark place,” and would give him options for his future, counsel submitted.