A 19-year-old man has been sentenced to five years in prison, with the final two-and-a-half years suspended, for an attack that has left another man with profound brain injuries.

Shane Byrne had pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Shane Grogan, following an altercation in Tuam, Co Galway in August 2012.

Mr Byrne, with previous addresses in Tuam and at Kilcarrig Avenue, Tallaght, Dublin, was of no fixed abode at the time of the attack.

He got involved in an altercation with 24-year-old Mr Grogan in the early hours of Sunday 5 August 2012, during which he struck the victim on the head with a brick.

The Circuit Criminal Court in Galway heard that Mr Grogan has spent the last 15 months in hospital since the attack and requires 24-hour medical care.

Judge Rory McCabe said he accepted that neither party set out to cause harm on the night in question and that the offence was reckless rather than intentional.

However, he said he had to take account of the serious injuries that had been sustained and impact they had on the life of Mr Grogan.

He imposed a five-year prison sentence, with the final two-and-a-half years suspended for a five-year period.

Afterwards Mr Grogan's father, Joe, said his family's focus was on his son and efforts to help him recover.

He detailed the devastation the injuries had caused and said he was hoping and praying that his son might one day recover.