Man gets two-year sentence for Stanley attack

A man who slashed his girlfriend's teenage sister with a 'Stanley' knife in a savage and frenzied attack has been given a two-year sentence by Judge Desmond Hogan at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Michael Gannon, aged 25, from Howth View Park, Kilbarrack had broken up with his girlfriend, Ms Tara Donoghue, about two months previously after becoming incensed because she had started working in a Leeson Street lapdancing club.

Gannon pleaded guilty to producing a knife with intent to endanger life, to assault causing harm to 16-year-old Ms Jennifer Donoghue and to criminal damage on May 3, 2001.

Garda Justin O'Keefe told Mr Vincent Heneghan BL, prosecuting, that Gannon was extremely drunk when he smashed the window of his girlfriend's mother's car with a pick-axe handle.

Ms Jennifer Donoghue then headed towards Gannon's house because she was concerned for the welfare of her sister's three month old baby, which he should have been minding.

As she approached the house, Gannon jumped out from a neighbour's garden and began to viciously attack her by kicking and punching her after she was knocked to the ground.

Gannon's sister, Helena, then came from the house and tried to pull him off the victim and told her to go home but as Ms Donoghue got to her feet she fell to the ground again.

Garda O'Keefe said Gannon kicked her several more times and she then felt a sharp, cold pain in the side of her face.

Helena Gannon managed to pull her brother from the victim again and she got up and walked a few yards before collapsing.

Garda O'Keefe said Gannon wielded two Stanley knives while he chased a number of Ms Donoghue's friends who had come to her aid before he disappeared into his house.

The gardaí and an ambulance were called and Ms Donoghue was taken to Beaumont Hospital where she received 13 stitches to the right side of her eye.

Judge Hogan suspended the last nine months of the sentence on the condition that Gannon liaised with the probation services and underwent an anger management course.

"This was a savage and frenzied attack on a girl of tender years. That was bad enough but a knife was used on her face and as a result she received quite a number of stitches. Looking at the photographs she is very lucky she didn't lose an eye," he said.

Judge Hogan noted Ms Donoghue suffered post traumatic stress disorder as a result of the attack and said he had no doubt a custodial sentence was warranted.

He took into account that Gannon pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.

Garda O'Keefe said Gannon was very drunk and extremely aggressive with the gardaí who called to his house and threatened them that he knew where they lived.

They recovered one of the knives from his pocket and his father gave them the second one.

Damage to victim's mother's red Nissan Sunny amounted to €623.99.

Ms Grainne McMorrow SC, for Gannon, said her client was extremely intoxicated on the night and completely lost the run of himself.

He had since rekindled the relationship with Ms Tara Donoghue and they were now expecting their second child.

Ms McMorrow added that their relationship had a history of difficulties with substance abuse but that was behind them now.

Gannon was greatly ashamed at the way he acted and she pleaded for a lenient sentence to give the couple a future together with their new-born child.