Man took month’s supply of Valium in 48 hours

A Bandon man who took enough Valium for one month in a 48-hour period ended up seriously assaulting his sleeping friend by stabbing him repeatedly.

This was only one of three violent attacks by the man in his neighbourhood at that time.

As well as Anthony McGuinness, of 30 Deerpark, Bandon, Co Cork, seriously assaulting his friend in this way he also assaulted his mother and his ex-girlfriend.

McGuinness got a sentence of five years with the last year suspended at Cork Circuit Criminal Court yesterday.

He pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Teresa Toner, his mother assault causing serious harm to John O’Brien, assault on former girlfriend Alannah O’Driscoll, and threatening to kill Ms O’Driscoll and producing a knife. There was another charge of breaching a safety order by putting her in fear, to which he also pleaded guilty.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin imposed the overall four-year sentence on McGuinness.

Garda Jonathan Coveney testified that the violent incidents that gave rise to the charges were all committed in Deerpark, Bandon on February 1 and 2 last.

First he went to his mother’s house and said he wanted to get clothes from his room. When Ms Toner told him she would prefer if he came back the following day he reacted by punching her in the face, breaking two of her teeth.

Garda Coveney said a couple of hours later McGuinness went drinking at a house in Deerpark. At some time between 7a, and 8am he went away and got a knife and returned to stab Mr O’Brien, causing him injuries which are still having a terrible effect on his life. He was stabbed in the neck and stomach, the frenzied attack starting as he slept.

The third incident took place at lunchtime the following day when he grabbed his ex-girlfriend by the neck and threatened to kill her. She ran home, locked herself in, and climbed out a window as he followed her while armed with a knife.

Brian Leahy, defence barrister, said: “On the night my client had taken a considerable amount of Valium, a large quantity of it taken over the 48 hours in question.”