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.

Judge Desmond Hogan noted that the probation report he ordered on Cox at the last hearing on April 29 was positive and, therefore, would affirm the community service order rather than send him to prison.

Garda Niall Hodgins told prosecuting counsel, Ms Marie Torrens BL, that Cox, was living then in accommodation provided for the homeless on North Frederick St by the Eastern Health Board.

Cox kicked in the door of his neighbours’ flat in the early hours of the morning, wielding a sword. He first hit Mr O’Neill across the head with his fist before hitting him with the sword. He "whipped" him with the weapon several times, leaving red welts on Mr O’Neill’s body.

Mr O’Neill was extremely afraid, and thought Cox was going to kill him. Ms Dowling tried to hold back Cox’s sword but he twisted her wrist and hit her once.

Gardaí were summoned by the owner of the building and Cox threw his sword out of the window when he heard the approaching patrol car’s siren. He offered no explanation for his behaviour but said he thought he heard his victims talking about him in their next door flat.

Mr Vincent Heneghan BL, counsel for Cox, said his client was a father of eight children who came from an extremely difficult background. He first came to the attention of gardaí at the age of six and had his first conviction before he was 10 years old.

He said that at the time of the incident Cox was living in "homeless accommodation with paper thin walls" and he "had just snapped" that particular night.

Mr Heneghan said Cox, who had spent most of his life in institutions, had not received the education he was due and in trying to turn his life around had gone to Trinity College and attempted to enroll in a pre-university course.

He had been told by Trinity College he should get his Junior certificate before he could enroll there and he had done so.

Mr Heneghan said Cox had since discovered an ability to express himself through arts and had published a book entitled A Crumlin Lad. He was currently doing a photography course.