A JUDGE HAS ordered the arrest of a teenager charged with inciting hatred over a suspected homophobic assault on a young man aboard a Dublin Bus in 2022.

26-year-old Mark Sheehan suffered facial injuries when he and a group were assaulted during a bus trip home in the Templeogue area of south Dublin at around 4am on 18 August 2022.

His alleged attacker was due to appear at the Dublin Children’s Court to be served with a book of evidence and sent forward for trial at a higher level. When he failed to turn up and answer bail, Judge Shalom Binchy issued a bench warrant to have him arrested.

It was the second time in the case that a judge had to order his arrest for failing to appear.

Mark Sheehan had been out socialising at The George nightclub on Dame Street with three friends, celebrating two birthdays among the group.

After the assault incident, he was taken to Tallaght University Hospital for treatment.

Gardaí launched an investigation, which led to a 17-year-old boy being charged with assault causing harm to Mark Sheehan. The incident occurred on the upper deck of the number 15 Dublin Bus near Templeogue.

In late 2022, he appeared at the Dublin Children’s Court, where bail with conditions was set in his bond of €200, and the case was adjourned for three months.

The court had granted him legal aid and directed that an interpreter be available for his hearings.

In February of the following year, he failed to appear at the court, which heard the youth had left the country.

However, in April 2025, the accused (now 19) was located and further charged with an offence of incitement to hatred by calling the complainant “queer” and “faggot” while travelling on the bus.

He still cannot be named because the alleged incident took place when he was a minor and has yet to enter a plea.

The case had been adjourned for six weeks for the State to have its book of evidence ready to serve, but the teenager failed to appear, resulting in the latest bench warrant.

Earlier, the teen had been ordered to obey a curfew from midnight to 6am, and sign on twice weekly at a Garda station.

He was also warned to have no direct or indirect contact with the complainant, including by social media.