Drugs led teen to slice boy’s face in ‘evil’ attack

A 17-YEAR-OLD who sliced a 15-year-old boy’s face because he owed him money was using drugs and head shop substances at the time, Dundalk Circuit Criminal Court heard yesterday.

The judge said the drink and drugs gave him “false and evil courage to carry out this attack”.

The 17-year-old pleaded guilty to assault causing harm. The victim still has a scar on his face, the investigating garda told the court.

He told the court the instrument used to cut the victim’s face was never recovered but the doctor who treated him said it was caused by “a Stanley blade or an extremely sharp blade”.

The court heard the 15-year-old was sitting with other young people in a park in Dundalk on July 29 last year and got up off a bench to go to the shop when he got a box to the back of his head from the accused.

The accused demanded the money he said the 15-year-old owed him. The younger teen acknowledged he owed him money and said he would have it the next day, the court heard.

He was then punched in the face and attacked.

He told gardaí he did not see a knife but could feel the “slicing” and the blood running down his face as his face and ear were being cut.

The accused ran off and an ambulance was called.

One of the wounds was very deep and 2½ inches long. It has left a scar on the youngster’s face but the others have healed well, Judge Michael O’Shea was told.

Lily Buckley, defending, said she was instructed that at the time a friend of the accused had committed suicide and he had sought solace in alcohol and what was described as, “a substantial amount of head shop intoxicants which are now illegal but at the time were available on the market”.

He was also under pressure to repay a debt he owed and “the bullying he was experiencing at the time came down the line on the unfortunate injured party,” she added.

The accused has been on remand in St Patrick’s Institution and is now studying for his Leaving Certificate and hopes to secure employment in the future. He is remorseful for what he did and apologised, she said.

Judge O’Shea said it was quite clear the accused was going “to sort out” the debt and went with “this sharp and dangerous implement with the intention of using it which he did.”

He sentenced him to four year’s detention with the last year suspended on his entering into a good behaviour bond on his release.