Mum’s heartbreak after thug who ‘destroyed’ innocent sons life appeals sentence

THE mother of a man who suffered life-changing injuries after a brutal assault has branded his attacker a “coward”.

Laura Doherty — whose son Austin, 38, was the victim of an unprovoked attack — made the claim after Conti Birali, 28, appealed the severity of the sentence he received over the incident.

Birali — who’s being held in Mountjoy Prison — received a nine-year sentence in March after he pleaded guilty to assault causing harm.

But we can reveal Gardai informed Austin’s family this month that he is now appealing the length of time he has to serve.

Our exclusive images show Austin — who was left in a coma after the attack — enjoying life with his family before he was assaulted on the Old Navan Road, Dublin, on July 31, 2022.

Birali’s court case heard how Austin was hit over the head with a bottle, repeatedly punched and also kicked in the head for simply talking to a woman who was a former partner of Birali.

When ambulance staff found Mr Doherty, they said his head was “nearly concave” after he’d been stamped upon and beaten.

The Dublin man told the court how he wouldn’t be able to walk again and felt “trapped in his own body” due to the nature of his injuries, adding: “It’s like I’m in my own prison.”

Following Birali’s decision to appeal the sentence, Austin’s mother spoke for the first time about the impact of the attack on her family.

She told us: “I gave birth to the perfect son, but his life has been destroyed by a complete stranger.

“I can’t believe Birali has the audacity to appeal this sentence and put our family through more trauma.

“He’s nothing more than a coward who can’t seem to accept the punishment he received for attacking an innocent man.

“If he wasn’t in prison, I would ask him to come out to my house and see first-hand the damage caused to my son.

“My son’s life was changed in a completely unprovoked attack and I can’t believe the man who caused so much devastation has the nerve to do this.

“I can assure Birali that we will be in court to fight this every step of the way.”

“Mr Doherty cannot work. He cannot care for his children. He needs help with everyday living.”

Judge Martin Nolan

Laura also paid tribute to her son, adding: “He has been incredibly brave since this nightmare and I can’t believe the strength he has shown these last two years.

“There are times when he doesn’t cope well, because he said he feels trapped in his own body.

“Our focus now is to help him get his independence back so he can have a normal life.

“Before this happened, he was the life and soul of the party and very sociable — but this has been taken away from him.”

LONG ROAD TO RECOVERY

Austin’s mother also paid tribute to family and friends for their support over the last two years, adding: “The support Austin and our family received since this terrible incident has been fantastic and we can’t thank people enough.

“Austin’s friends who work in the building trade have helped him get some independence and we will be forever grateful.

“He faces a long road to recovery but he’s a fighter — we are with him 24/7 and we are all so proud of him.”

During the case, the court heard how Austin “cannot do the simple things that others take for granted”.

This includes playing football with his young son or lifting him up.

When he was in a coma, he also missed his daughter’s first day at school.

ACCUSED ‘WANTED TO HURT’ DOHERTY

Following the attack, Birali told gardai he had been highly intoxicated and had an argument with his ex-girlfriend.

Birali said he was hit with a bottle and thought it had been done by Mr Doherty so he “threw a few punches and bottled him”.

He added: “All I can say is, I attacked him outside the shanty because I had a couple of drinks and I wanted to hurt him. But I didn’t intend to leave him the way I did and I’m very sorry for that.”

The court heard that CCTV footage made it very clear that Mr Doherty played no role in any argument and that the assault was completely unprovoked.

A co-accused man, Craig Maples, 28, of Green Briar, Verdemont, Blanchardstown was sentenced in February to seven years in prison after he also pleaded guilty to violent disorder and assault causing serious harm to Mr Doherty on the night in question.

Handing down a nine-year sentence, Judge Martin Nolan said of Mr Doherty’s injuries: “He cannot work. He cannot care for his children. He needs help with everyday living.”

The investigation into the attack was run by detectives from Blanchardstown Garda Station.