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Hayes brothers moved to open prison 19 weeks into sentences for attack on friend
Two Limerick brothers jailed for an unprovoked attack on a former friend have been transferred from Limerick Prison to an open, low-security facility, four months into sentences of two and two-and-a-half years in jail.
Cian Hayes (33) and Daragh Hayes (37), who were both jailed on January 30th last, have served around 19 weeks as prisoners among the general population of the high-security Limerick Prison.
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The two siblings, from Ballyashea, Kildimo, Co Limerick, were transferred from Limerick Prison to Shelton Abbey, Co Wicklow, an open, low-security prison for males who are regarded as requiring lower levels of security, last Monday, several reliable sources confirmed on Wednesday.
The Hayes brothers lured their then-friend and former Limerick athlete and minor Gaelic football star, Ciaran Ryan, to Daragh Hayes's house and attacked him with a hurley and a foot-long steel wrench.
The two brothers interrogated Mr Ryan about a text message he had sent to Daragh Hayes' ex-partner several months beforehand, which the court heard had been entirely innocent in nature.
When contacted on Wednesday, and asked for his reaction to the transfer of the two men who attacked him, leaving him with serious injuries, Mr Ryan replied: 'No comment, I just want to get on with my life.'
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Mr Ryan was Cian Hayes's best man at the time of the attack. He suffered a collapsed lung, multiple fractures, including to one of his legs, arm, fingers, as well as extensive bruising and severe psychological trauma.
Mr Ryan told the brothers' sentencing hearing: 'They beat me like they wanted me dead.'
The court heard Mr Ryan was lured to Daragh Hayes' house on the pretence of making plans for Cian Hayes's impending wedding.
Reading a victim impact statement at the sentencing hearing, Mr Ryan said: 'It changed my life forever.'
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Mr Ryan told the court that he and members of his family were 'semi-shunned' by some people in their local parish 'for speaking up against the Hayes brothers'.
Mr Ryan told the court last January that he was still suffering 'horrendous nightmares and suicidal thoughts' after the attack, which happened in late September 2021.
'Cian picked up the big spider wrench and Daragh picked up a hurley, and without explanation, they beat me like they wanted me dead,' Mr Ryan told the court.
'I tried to protect my face from the strikes by Cian, the venom in his eyes terrified me.'
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'Cian shattered a number of my ribs and punctured my lung, all the while Daragh was beating me on the other side of my body with a hurley.'
'Daragh beat me so hard with the hurley that the hurley snapped, I couldn't catch my breath, I didn't know what was going on or how I was going to escape.'
'I was battered on both sides of my body, between my arms, lungs, rib cage, legs and fingers.'
Mr Ryan said that after Daragh Hayes realised he had done nothing wrong, Daragh Hayes cried and told Cian Hayes "we went too far", but, Mr Ryan said, 'Cian showed absolutely zero remorse'.
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Despite realising they had been mistaken, the two brothers later threatened Mr Ryan not to tell anyone what happened.
The two defendants outlined 'the consequences' of telling about the attack, warning Mr Ryan not to socialise in their local community and threatening Mr Ryan that his business as well as his girlfriend's home would be targeted if he contacted gardaí.
Detective Sergeant Michael Reidy, Newcastle West Garda Station, gave evidence in court that the two defendants each gave Mr Ryan a 'severe beating'.
Mr Ryan has undergone a number of surgeries, a gruelling physiotherapy regime, as well as psychological counselling following the attack.
Cian and Daragh Hayes initially denied their involvement in the beating, the court heard.
Investigating gardaí, however, matched blood spatters found in Daragh Hayes' home to Mr Ryan's DNA, which proved to be key in supporting the DPP's prosecution of the two men.
The two brothers, who had no previous convictions, were initially charged with assault causing 'serious harm' to Mr Ryan; however, as their trial loomed, the brothers pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of assault causing 'harm'. They also entered guilty pleas to producing a hurley and a wrench and using them as weapons during the attack.
Judge Colin Daly told the brothers they had 'lured' Mr Ryan to the house 'with stunning premeditation', having 'organised the perfect conditions for their attack', ensuring only they and Mr Ryan would be the only people in the house at the time.
Daragh Hayes was jailed for three years with the final six months suspended, and Cian Hayes was jailed for two and half years with the final six months suspended.
A security source said it was not surprising that the two brothers had been deemed suitable for transfer to an open prison, despite only serving four months of their sentences.
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Both defendants would have automatically received a quarter off their sentences for having pled guilty as well as having no previous convictions.
They were regarded as being model prisoners inside Limerick Prison, which, like other prisons, is battling overcrowding.
Sources said it is likely the two brothers would be eligible for release before the end of the year, meaning they would serve less than 12 months each of their sentences.
When asked for comment, the Irish Prison Service replied it 'does not comment on individual prisoner cases'.
