Kyle Hayes receives 2 year suspended sentence and €10,000 fine.

Predictable outcome. Cue the drive for five hype and quick forgiveness.

A lucky man.

I can't understand Kiely saying he had taken responsibility for his actions when he had pleaded not guilty. Maybe someone can explain how that makes sense.

A total scumbag, and will continue to be a total scumbag thanks to the leniency of this

On the other hand...

Seems about right to me. No previous and seemingly an otherwise fine citizen.

I think he's had his punishment with his reputation damaged and all the attention. It's one of those things where I think it's best to look at it as 'thankfully nobody got seriously hurt'.

From what I recall of the trial he was one of a gang partaking in the attack, while he might have been the instigator of the row beforehand, there was nothing to say he was the one kicking the lad on the ground.

Shur he’s a half dundon.

Essentially no punishment at all then because JP will pick up the tab.

Young men do very stupid things on nights out. If it's a one-off terrible judgement should that ruin the rest of his life?

People generally come out from prison in a worse way and more likely to re-offend.

The point is Hayes showed no remorse and didn't plead guilty to his crime. Despite several witnesses testifying that he did it. He had his chance to make amends by pleading guilty, showing remorse and apologizing to his victim. He did none of those things and deserves all the vitriol that he is now facing. A very lucky boy not to be spending some time behind bars.

I don't know all the details of the case but it may be that he plead not guilty because he felt the charge didn't reflect his role on the night.

For all we know he might have just pushed the lad over and given him a kick in the arse. It was maybe someone else in the gang did the damage.

I suspect part of the reason he got the suspected sentence was this.

I'm not saying he didn't behave deplorably on the night, but I think a jail sentence would have been excessive.

At least we know now we can attack people without a chance of jail. Or is it only if we are famous and our reputation is hurt that we escape jail?