Three year sentence for alcoholic who stabbed passer-by

An alcoholic who drunkenly stabbed a passer-by and then tried to slash the tyres on a taxi so he couldn't escape has been given a three year prison sentence in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Gavin Guinan (aged 30) of Lissadel Road, Drimnagh pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Darren Ward causing him serious harm on September 25 2005. Mr Ward recovered in hospital from a life-threatening injury.

Calling it a "unsolicited assault of serious proportions", Judge Desmond Hogan suspended the final two years of the sentence on condition that Guinan takes part in a alcohol treatment programme.

Garda Kieran Noonan told prosecuting counsel, Mr Pieter Le Vert BL, that Mr Ward was walking home with friends from a night out when Guinan approached him and started talking to him. The conversation became aggressive and Guinan punched him in the side as he got into a taxi his partner had hailed.

When he got in, Mr Ward realised he had been stabbed and told the taxi driver to bring him to hospital but Guinan shouted at the driver not to take them and attempted to slash the tyres.

Gda Noonan said the taxi drove Mr Ward to the hospital where he was operated on for what was classed a life threatening injury.

Gda Noonan said Guinan was "staggering around the road with a bottle of vodka" when arrested later that night and was found to have two knives strapped to his legs.

Guinan has 29 previous convictions, two of them for assault, and has an alcohol and heroin problem.

Defence counsel, Mr Giollaiosa Ó Lideadha SC, appealed to Judge Hogan to suspend the sentence in full on the grounds that Guinan had been off drink for almost two years and had the support of a loving family.

Refusing the application, Judge Hogan replied: "The season of goodwill has not yet come for your client."