Man remanded in machete-attack case

A man who attacked a new acquaintance with a machete over a dispute about money after being asked by the victim to bring cocaine to a party has been remanded on bail pending sentence.

Thomas McMahon (aged 24), of Aideen Avenue, Terenure, got a phone call from Niall O'Brien to come to a house party and to bring cocaine with him for the group to share.

Later that night he had an argument with Mr O'Brien over money he owed him and the victim's girlfriend agreed to go with McMahon to an ATM to get cash out for him on behalf of her boyfriend.

She then rang Mr O'Brien to get his pin number but he refused to give it and McMahon got agitated and left but later returned to the flat, kicked the door in and knocked Mr O'Brien to the ground, before he attacked him with a machete on the face and arms.

Garda Jeff White told Mr Garrett Baker BL, prosecuting, that the victim was left with 15cm cuts across his face, leaving the cheekbone visible and his tendons exposed in his forearms.

Gda White said gardaí later found McMahon in a nearby Centra shop carrying a machete in his belt that was covered in blood. He told gardaí, "It's mine, I hit him twice" when questioned about the weapon.

Mr O'Brien's tendons were repaired after a three hour surgery. Doctors were not able to repair his facial nerves and he was left with no movement above his left eye and permanent scarring.

McMahon told gardaí that he was a "borderline alcoholic" and that he just liked machetes and samurai swords. He said he was "filled with blind rage, drink and whiskey" that night.

He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to Mr O'Brien on Thomas Street on February 2, 2007. He had five previous convictions for public order offences.

Judge Desmond Hogan adjourned the case for sentence later and ordered probation and psychiatric reports.

He said he would specially like notification from the Probation Service as to McMahon's likelihood to re-offend particularly in a violent way and added that the weapon used was one which was "capable of inflicting great injury".

Gda White told Mr Sean Gillane BL, defending that he was aware that his client had an alcohol and drug addiction and that he had psychiatric difficulties.

He agreed that McMahon was genuinely easy to deal with and apologetic and accepted he was a soft-spoken, nervous kind of man.