A MAN WHO “acted as a vigilante” and attacked a “blameless” stranger after reading false claims on social media will be sentenced next year.

Stephen McInerney (29) of Slade Castle Avenue, Saggart, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and the production of pepper spray on July 14, 2020 at a location in Saggart.

McInerney has 36 previous convictions, including one for making threats to kill.

McInerney confronted the victim after reading false allegations on social media that the man was a paedophile.

Judge Crowe said today that this was a “hateful set of circumstances”, in which the accused had taken it upon himself to “act as a vigilante” while the victim was “utterly blameless”.

She adjourned the case to March 2023 for a probation report to be compiled to assess McInerney’s risk of re-offending.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that McInerney was one of two men who confronted the victim while he was walking to the shops at around 7pm on the day in question. The men showed the victim a photo on a phone and asked if it was him.

Detective Garda Colm Maher told Rónán Prendergast BL, prosecuting, that the victim tried not to engage in conversation and walked on. The men then accused him of being a paedophile.

McInerney also shouted at the victim that he would kill him.

The victim went into a nearby shop to ask for help. When he left the shop, he spotted the two men standing nearby and McInerney sprayed him with pepper spray.

The victim returned to the shop, where security...

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