Disgraceful Assault in City Centre

road_high

http://www.kilkennypeople.ie/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=2594&ArticleID=1746134

Assault victims fight back with internet campaign
THREE men who were viciously assaulted in Kilkenny City on Saturday night have launched an internet campaign against violence on the streets.
"Warning: Repeated kicking of head may result in a fractured skull" is the message on a 'blog', or journal, at myspace.com written by one of the victims, a 25-year-old Kilkenny man.
"The sight of a boyracer car slowly passing by on a Saturday night was nothing new. In this case a white Mitsubishi Colt," wrote Ross Costigan, a photographer who sports a colourful Mohican haircut.
"Neither was it strange for the occupants of the car (stereotypical clad in the usual Burburry hats and highly branded clothing) to start firing abuse out the window at me and the lads. You know, the usual, 'Faggots', 'Freaks', 'Get a haircut'. So in common response we shouted back and thought nothing of it, just kept on walking."
"This is where last night differs to our average Saturday night out in Kilkenny. These guys were obviously looking for this type of situation as an excuse to do what they do well, start s*** with people who don't want it, and so they turned around and unloaded from the car," he continued. "This is where my memory gets a bit hazey, the side effects of a fractured skull I suppose."
Mr Costigan and his friends Kevin Rafferty and Eddie Costello were kicked repeatedly in the head. "And when I say kicking, they weren't holding back," Mr Costigan recalled.
"I remember struggling to cover my head with my arms as they continued to throw their vicious kicks and Emer throwing herself on top of me to try and protect my head. I remember hearing her crying and begging them to stop, they didn't and I passed out.
"I woke up again and I'm still being kicked in the head. She's still pleading with them to stop but I still feel them kicking. I can hear them shouting 'aw, are you scared?' and laughing."
"When I looked up I saw Raff lying on the ground, blood flowing from his face. I looked over and Eddie's also on the ground covered in blood.
"I remember seeing the faces of random strangers just standing on the street in shock as one of them planted one last kick into Eddie's already bleeding and broken mouth. And then they turned and strolled back towards their waiting car which has been turned around for a speedy getaway," he wrote.
Why?
The 25-year-old then posed the question, why would anyone carry out such an attack?
"I'd really like to hear people's idea of what makes people do things like this because it's all I've thought about today," he wrote.
The discussion carried over to kilkennymusic.com, a discussion site for local bands and music fans.
One contributor commented: "Jesus, it's in enough of a public place, not like they jumped people in a dark alley or down the river. It's bang in the middle of town, three security cameras on them, passing crowd to the bank .... wasn't even that late!!!
"Fair play to the ambulance service too who were there quick enough (after the car had left) and got the lads patched up and looked after.
"God help anyone if it had been one person on their own in an unprevoked attack like that, we might not be able to turn around and say 'at least you're alive and well'."
And while others responded with wishes that the aggressors would themselves be victims of attack, Mr Costigan replied:
"Much as I like the idea of these guys getting a kicking for what they did, it would solve nothing.
"It would only create a cycle of revenge and result in more people being hurt, perhaps more seriously next time.
"I appreciate how frustrated and furious people are over this and other incidents, people shouldn't be kicked in the head because they choose to look a certain way.
"So as much as I also appreciate the idea of 'lynch mobs' and revenge, I really hope people will be more constructive about this. I'd urge anybody who witnessed anything to go to the guards and give any info they think is important or could be helpful.
"The attack was savage and cold hearted, delivered by small minded thugs. That being said it was also delivered between two CCTV cameras, in front of a street full of witnesses.
"This is far from over, I firmly believe what goes around comes around.
"When this ends up in court I hope people will join us on the courthouse steps looking like 'freaks' or 'goths' or whatever these people are afraid of in the first place that causes them to lash out with violence, just to show them that they can not and will not get away with it. And that their violent attacks will not stop us from being who we are or looking the way we want to."
06 September 2006

Stephen

F**king scumbags, every last one of them. I hope they get some good pictures from the CCTV cameras and bring these sh1theads to justice.

Firetrap

Hopefully. I've heard stories of CCTV tapes going "missing" though