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By Jessica Magee.

A 16-year-old punched a mum-of-one in the face before launching a horrific sex attack, a court heard yesterday.

The teen, who is now 19, also smashed another woman, who came to the rescue of his victim, with a beer can on October 12, 2012.

The youth pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a woman and assaulting another causing her harm in north Dublin on October 12, 2012.

The 19-year-old has claimed he cannot remember the attack after he was beaten up earlier on the night in question.

A probation report said the youth was at high risk of re-offending, but Judge Martin Nolan adjourned sentencing at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to allow for an updated probation report.

The judge said the probation report was “very sceptical” about the teenager’s purported lack of recall of the assaults.

But he said probation officers should be allowed to read medical reports showing that the accused suffered a serious brain injury either before or after carrying out these assaults, which may have affected his memory.

Garda Colm McElligot told Martina Baxter BL, prosecuting, that both attacks took place shortly before 5am.

A mother-of-one told gardaí she was walking home from a party when she was attacked 50 yards from her own home.

The 30-year-old said a boy who had been following her punched her full force in her face, knocking her to the ground.

He punched her face and temples repeatedly, said he had a knife, and put his hand over her mouth, causing her to struggle to breathe. The woman was screaming and in fear of her life.

She said the attacker tried to take off her clothes and his own when a neighbour heard her screams and came to her aid.

The second victim told gardaí she saw a man lying on top of a girl and ran out of her house to pull him off.

The man then punched this woman and hit her with a beer can before running away.

Victim impact reports for the two women showed they suffered bruises, cuts and swelling to the face and body.

Since the attack they have also experienced stress and anxiety.

When arrested, the teenager said he had taken alcohol and drugs that night and had been assaulted by two men.

Diarmaid McGuinness SC, defending, said the accused suffered a fractured skull, scalp lacerations and bleeding to the brain.

He said his client spent eleven days in Beaumont Hospital and underwent surgery on his face.

Mr McGuinness said doctors were concerned that head injuries could have caused his client’s amnesia.

He read out a letter of apology from the teenager saying he was extremely ashamed of his actions.

His father took to the stand and offered €1,500 in cash as a gesture of his son’s remorse, with a further €3,500 to follow if acceptable.

The man said his son had agreed to repay this money to him when he got a job.

The court heard that the teenager has attended drugs counselling but has since acquired two minor convictions, one for being drunk in public and the second for failing to appear in court.

He had no convictions before the two assaults.

Sentencing was adjourned until March 16.