Man who stabbed schoolboy sentenced to three years

A man who stabbed a schoolboy in an unprovoked attack and lacerated his liver has been sentenced to three years at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Dwaine Leeper (22) of Coultry Drive, Ballymun pleaded guilty to assaulting Eric Nolan causing him harm on the Swords Road in Santry on May 23, 2009.

Leeper has previous convictions for public order and road traffic offences. He could offer no explanation for stabbing Mr Nolan.

He later told gardai in interview that he was hanging around with a tough crowd at the time and was carrying a knife to look like “the hard man”.

Judge Martin Nolan said Leeper had been on the side-lines of the attack on Mr Nolan but “for some unknown reason” had then come in to stab the victim.

He said it was a very serious offence and it was fortunate for everyone that Mr Nolan has made a full recovery.

He sentenced Leeper to three years in prison but the suspended the final 18 months on condition that he is of good behaviour for two years on his release.

Garda Edward Burke told Garnet Orange BL, prosecuting, that Mr Nolan, who was a fifth year student at the time, has since made a full recovery.

He had been stabbed in the lower chest and the knife had penetrated his liver. He spent a week in hospital receiving treatment.

Mr Nolan and his friends had been out socialising that night when Leeper and another youth approached them and asked one of the group for a cigarette.

When this teenager replied that he didn’t have one because he didn’t smoke, Leeper’s accomplice asked him “Are you getting smart with me?” before he punched him in the head.

Mr Nolan was then attacked after he tried to pull his friend away. He was punched in the head, struck around the body and knocked to the ground.

The victim managed to get up and started to walk away before he felt weak and ill. His friends then noticed he was bleeding and an ambulance was called.

Garda Burke said Leeper was identified after gardai viewed CCTV footage from the local area.

He was questioned in June that year and admitted he had stabbed Mr Nolan. He claimed he had been carrying a knife for his own protection.

Garda Burke agreed with Shane Costello BL, defending, that his client’s only intervention that night was to stab Mr Nolan.

He agreed that it was not clear from the CCTV footage who had stabbed him and gardai would not have been able to prosecute Leeper had it not been for his own admissions.

Mr Costello said his client has written a letter of apology to the victim in which he stated that he was hanging around with a bad crowd at the time but has no excuse for his actions.

Counsel said his client could offer no explanation for his actions on the night.

He said he has a young child and his partner is expecting their second baby.