Blood-covered man ‘beaten with iron bar in bed over debt’

Jordan Doyle (22) is accused of going to the man’s home and attacking him over a crack cocaine debt. Stock image

Andrew Phelan

February 07 2023 06:37 AM

An intruder beat a blood-covered man with an iron bar in his bed, then struck his sister on the head when she tried to intervene, it is alleged.

Jordan Doyle (22) is accused of going to the man’s home and attacking him over a crack cocaine debt, leaving him in need of plastic surgery for a facial laceration.

He was refused bail after Dublin District Court heard gardaí believed it was a case of drugs intimidation and there were fears for the safety of the alleged victims.

Mr Doyle, with an address at a city centre hotel, is charged with burglary, assault and producing a weapon on January 30.

Objecting to bail, a garda told Judge Bryan Smyth he was called to the apartment on Mountjoy Square and saw the brother being stretchered out with a large laceration to his face. He told them he had been attacked by neighbours.

His sister was “terrified” and said two men had come in the unsecured front door and proceeded to her brother’s bedroom. She heard her brother shouting “I have no money” and when she went in, she said, she saw Mr Doyle standing over him with a steel bar in his hand.

Her brother was covered in blood and she saw the accused striking him with the bar, it was alleged. When she attempted to intervene, he struck her on the head, she told gardaí.

The brother was hospitalised, received 11 stitches to his face, leg and arm and was due to undergo plastic surgery. His sister did not require medical attention.

The brother alleged the attack was over a €2,000 crack cocaine debt.

The accused was arrested and the apartment he was in was searched. An iron bar was found and clothing in the washing machine appeared to have blood splashes on it, the garda said.

It was alleged that in interview, Mr Doyle told gardaí: “Whoever (the woman) is, she’d better keep my name out of her mouth or there won’t be a hair left on her head.”

Mr Doyle was presumed innocent and was “almost certainly” going to contest the charges, his barrister Gareth Casey said. He disputed what he was alleged to have said in interview.

Judge Smyth refused bail and remanded the accused in custody, for the directions of the DPP.