Stephen Termini, the US tourist who was brutally attacked on Talbot Street in Dublin on July 19, 2023, says he maintains goodwill toward Irish people.
Termini, who has now taken his Irish great-grandmother's surname of Donnelly, was speaking in Dublin on Wednesday evening as his third attacker was sentenced.
The teen, who was 16 years old at the time of the attack in July 2023, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of assault causing harm and was sentenced to 20 months in detention on Wednesday, according to RTÉ News.
The teen has nine previous convictions, including a conviction in 2022 for assault and violent disorder in what the court was told were "similar circumstances."
His sentencing comes after two other boys, who were 15 and 14 at the time of the assault, pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm and were sentenced to 32 months and 26 months in detention last year.
The attackers cannot be named as they are minors.
Donnelly was seriously assaulted at about 10:40 pm on Dublin's Talbot Street on July 19, 2023.
The court heard that he was walking along Talbot Street that night and walked past a group of teenagers. He then went back and began speaking to them.
According to RTÉ News, the court heard he had been speaking to some girls, one of whom told him to "go away."
The oldest boy, who was sentenced on Wednesday, then attacked Donnelly.
In court, Detective Garda Shane Noone told Prosecuting counsel Diarmuid Collins that there were four kicks in total by the boy, including a "roundhouse type kick" and a "two-footed jump kick."
The first boy moved away and then appeared to film on his phone while Donnelly was punched and kicked by the second boy. The third boy hit Donnelly once knocking him to the ground.
The court heard the second and third boys appeared concerned about Donnelly and checked on him before fleeing.
Gardaí responded to the scene and Donnelly was brought to Beaumont Hospital.
Donnelly sustained five life-threatening injuries - one to his right eye, a brain bleed, a head injury, a skull fracture, a traumatic brain injury, and a fractured cheek. He was on a ventilator for two days and in intensive care for two weeks and remained in Dublin's Mater hospital until the end of August.
The Irish American had been “saving every penny” for his trip to Ireland where he was planning to research his Irish roots, his sister told IrishCentral.
The three teen males were arrested within days. All three were granted bail on strict conditions, however, two of the three later had their bail revoked for breaching their bail conditions and were remanded into custody.
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RTÉ News reported on Wednesday that in a victim impact statement, Donnelly said he could hardly do anything without his cane.
He said he had never asked for this attack and the boys should "pay some restitution," even though he said he forgave them.
The court heard more than €120,000 had been raised in a campaign "purporting to assist" Donnelly, but Donnelly claims he has never received the money.
Speaking after the sentencing on Wednesday, Donnelly said: "This doesn't change anything about the way I always felt.
"Everything I said from day one, that I forgive these kids for what they did, doesn't matter why they felt the need to do that.
"But when you see me lying dead on the sidewalk and brought back to life by the hospital here, I always felt the same way - I forgive them for what they did, I don't have any problems with Irish people, I wouldn't say 'Don't come to Dublin because it's dangerous,' it's beautiful."
Donnelly was wearing a cap that said 'Ireland 1922' and a green sweatshirt that said 'Dublin.'
He continued: "I changed my name since I was killed on the sidewalk as Stephen Termini, but now I am Stephen Donnelly.
"My grandmother from Newport [in Co Mayo] survived the Hunger and came to America where I was from in Buffalo, New York.
"If that never happened, I wouldn't be standing here right now at this very moment to talk to you."
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