Man convicted of slashing best friend’s throat over pint

A MAN has been convicted of slashing open his best friend’s throat and cutting his jugular in a row over a pint.

Luke Walsh, aged 23, was found guilty by a jury after a three-day trial during which he claimed he couldn’t remember the majority of the incident but alleged that the victim attacked him first.

The jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court took less than two hours to convict him.

Walsh, of Broadfield Drive, Ballinteer, Dublin, had pleaded not guilty to assault causing harm to Colin Doyle at the Rockfield Lounge, Dundrum, on March 5, 2009.

Judge Joseph Matthews remanded Walsh on continuing bail until a sentence date in December and ordered a probation report be prepared.

Mr Doyle told the jury he thought he was going to die and that he has been left with a visible scar.

“It happened out of the blue,” he told the jury.

“I was pretty much on my deathbed and had my family over me. It’s not something that should happen to anyone.”

He said Walsh had been his best friend since school and they had just returned from a trip to Amsterdam at the time of the incident.

Mr Doyle told prosecuting counsel Monika Leech BL that he met Walsh and other friends in the pub at about 10pm.

He went outside for a cigarette and returned to find Walsh drinking his pint. Mr Doyle said this to Walsh but was told to “fuck off”.

Mr Doyle said he told Walsh to keep the pint and got another one for himself. Later in the night he again found Walsh drinking his pint.

When Mr Doyle confronted him again and asked for it back, he claims Walsh told him again to “fuck off” and “put the glass into my neck and brought it down as far as my Adam’s apple”.

He said Walsh then hit him again with a piece of glass in his hand. The witness said he started hitting him back and the two exchanged blows until bar staff broke them up.

An ambulance was called which took Mr Doyle to hospital where he said he was operated on and given blood transfusions.

He said a further operation was required the next day to close the veins and arteries in his neck, including his jugular.