A woman who was left permanently blind in one eye after a violent attack in Dublin in December 2021 has said the prison sentence given to the man who organised the assault is “not fair”. Jack Cummins, of Rossmore Road, Ballyfermot, was sentenced to six years in prison after admitting to procuring the assault that caused serious harm to Alanna Quinn Idris on Ballyfermot Road on 30 December 2021. Cummins had phoned his cousin Josh Cummins, who was 17 at the time. Josh arrived with two others, and together they attacked Ms Quinn Idris.

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Ms Quinn Idris, also 17 at the time, was hit in the face with the saddle of an electric scooter, fracturing her eye socket and resulting in permanent blindness in her right eye. Her friend Louis O’Sullivan was also injured during the incident. Jack Cummins also pleaded guilty to violent disorder and assault causing harm to Mr O’Sullivan. He had no prior convictions and was 18 when the assault happened. Josh Cummins, now 20, and Darragh Lyons, now 21, have already been sentenced for their parts in the assault. A fourth man, who struck Ms Quinn Idris with the scooter saddle, has never been identified.

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Speaking outside the Criminal Courts of Justice, Ms Quinn Idris said the sentence “was not fair”. “He got seven years with one suspended on probation, whereas this (her injuries) is for the rest of my whole entire life,” she said. “I’ve no choice but to just cope and deal with it, I can’t even fathom crying because I’m so used to it at this stage.” She added, “I have something fresh to build off of but I’ll never forget it.”

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Despite everything, Ms Quinn Idris said she wanted to continue raising awareness about violence against women: “I feel like I should – as somebody who cares about these things. I would like it to be like before and nobody know who I am but unfortunately that’s not the case. It would be a detriment to myself and others to waste this now.”

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Judge Pauline Codd said Cummins was responsible for bringing the attackers to the scene and instigating the premeditated violence. She said the phone call he made had “disastrous and tragic consequences for Ms Quinn Idris” and described Cummins as the “catalyst” for all that followed. Though he didn’t directly assault Ms Quinn Idris, the judge said he was “highly reckless” in setting up the attack and later joined in by striking Mr O’Sullivan. She called the violence “cowardly” and noted that Ms Quinn Idris’s injuries were “utterly catastrophic”.

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The judge acknowledged that Cummins was 18 at the time, had no criminal record, had expressed remorse, and was at a low risk of re-offending. He is engaged to be married and works full-time as a plumber. Taking these factors into account, she reduced the headline sentence of 11 years to seven, suspending the final year and allowing all charges to run concurrently.

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Sergeant Michael Noonan told the court that Ms Quinn Idris and Mr O’Sullivan had just left a bus from Liffey Valley Shopping Centre when a verbal exchange occurred between Cummins and Mr O’Sullivan. The prosecution argued that Cummins made two phone calls to his cousin after this argument, which led to the attack. Although Cummins did not strike Ms Quinn Idris himself, he led the attackers to her and failed to intervene.

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The attack, which lasted about a minute and ended when passing motorists stepped in, left Ms Quinn Idris requiring emergency surgery. She later underwent multiple reconstructive procedures, including a bone graft from her hip. Mr O’Sullivan sustained a head wound, a puncture to the arm, and bruising. Darragh Lyons was sentenced to four-and-a-half years for his role, while Josh Cummins received five years with the final two suspended. Both admitted to various charges including violent disorder and assault.

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In her victim impact statement, Ms Quinn Idris said she is now “permanently facially disfigured”. She stated the incident was not random and that Cummins had harassed her before. “None of this would have happened if he hadn't made those calls that night,” she said. The court also heard that Cummins and Ms Quinn Idris had known each other before, and that there had been previous physical confrontations between them. One past incident involved Cummins putting her in a headlock and pushing her to the ground.

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Ms Quinn Idris also described the emotional trauma of the court process, especially as Jack lived nearby. She said she constantly replays the moment of the attack in her mind, thinking about what might have changed the outcome. She missed much school for surgeries and said the incident disrupted her studies and career. She’s had six operations so far, while Jack, she said, had “all of the free time to do as he pleased”. She expressed difficulty seeing her own reflection, saying she dissociates and struggles to recognise herself. Though she continues to model, she wonders how far she could have gone had she not become “some inclusive model”. She said she now avoids public spaces, suffers from flashbacks, nightmares, and ongoing emotional distress.

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Keith Spencer BL, defending Cummins, said his client admitted making the calls but did not intend the resulting violence. He argued it wasn’t premeditated and that Cummins acted out of fear. Cummins has a good work record, is engaged to his girlfriend, and was described as being at low risk of re-offending. Cummins read a letter of apology to the court, saying he was “truly sorry”, wished he could take back his actions, and wished Ms Quinn Idris well in her recovery.

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