Sword-wielding poet to do community service

A Dublin poet who went "berserk" and attacked his neighbours with a sword because he thought they were talking about him has to do 240 hours of community service in lieu of a two year sentence.

Christopher Cox, aged 48, author of A Crumlin Lad, of North Circular Road, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting his then neighbours Mr Paul O’Neill and Ms Lorraine Dowling on July 22, 2002 at North Frederick Street.