Laois cafe staff to be offered restorative justice with perpetrators of violent disorder 

Staff at Costa Coffee are to be offered the opportunity to take part in the restorative justice process following a violent disorder incident at the cafe in Portlaoise earlier this year.  

Two teenage boys, who cannot be named due to their age, admitted engaging in violent disorder in a coffee shop in Laois Shopping Centre. 

A 17 year-old boy pleaded guilty to assault and violent disorder at Costa Coffee, Laois Shopping Centre on January 22 last.  A 16 year-old boy also admitted engaging in violent disorder during the same incident. Both boys have Laois addresses. 

Giving evidence in relation to the first boy, Garda Billy O’Connor said the defendant was with a group of four other males who followed a man into Costa Coffee at 2pm on the date in question. He said the group attacked the man and the defendant can be seen punching the man multiple times into the head and body. 

Solicitor Philip Meagher said his client had followed another individual who had gone in after the young man.  

Garda O’Connor said he believed the defendant was the “second to get involved” in the assault. 

“He wasn’t the initial instigator?” asked Mr Meagher. “No,” said Garda O’Connor. 

Mr Meagher said his client was in custody since May and has "knuckled down" in Oberstown. “He has done extraordinarily well,” said Mr Meagher. 

He said his client was “polite, engaging and proactive” following his time in custody. He said the teenager is trusted by staff and is engaging in woodwork where he got a ‘best improved’ certificate. 

“He has now got a job on a coffee truck on site which serves coffee to staff,” said Mr Meagher. 

 “In my 30 years of doing this I haven’t seen a better improvement of any young man,” said Mr Meagher. 

Judge Susan Fay described the incident in Costa Coffee as “very distressing” and she spoke of the workers in the cafe. “That incident was very frightening for them and the customers,” she said. 

Judge Fay said there were a number of victims on the day, not just the man who was assaulted. She said the staff and customers were also victims. She requested a victim impact statement from the man who was assaulted, a probation report and restorative justice. “Somebody could have PTSD,” said Judge Fay. She adjourned the case back to Portlaoise District Court on January 13. 

Garda O’Connor gave evidence in relation to the younger accused. He said the teenager was one of the males who followed the man into the cafe and attacked him. He said there were between 20 and 30 customers of all ages in the cafe at the time. 

Anne Doyle BL said her client was 15 at the time and had since served five and a half months detention in Oberstown. “He is one of my success stories. He has come on so well,” she said. 

“I think he has really turned a corner,” Ms Doyle told Judge Fay. She described the teenager's maturity and insight as “absolutely outstanding" and said she believed “the penny has finally dropped”. 

“On that day there were a number of victims as I see it,” said Judge Fay.  

“There are so many victims, it was a crime against the people of Portlaoise as I see it,” said Judge Fay. 

“This was a crime against this town in many ways as I see it and the people of this town were the victim,” said Judge Fay. 

She requested restorative justice and asked that the injured party and the staff at Costa Coffee be offered the opportunity to participate in the restorative justice process. If they agree they could engage with the offenders who would then get an insight into the impact of their crimes on the workers. 

Judge Fay also asked for a probation services report and she adjourned the matter back to Portlaoise District Court on May 12.