Teenager jailed for stabbing two people

By Eimear Dodd

 A teenager who stabbed two men during separate incidents has been jailed for two-and-a-half years.

Daryl Wade (18) stabbed an Italian student in the leg during a robbery in May 2022 and later stabbed a 17-year-old boy in the stomach after an attempted robbery in February 2023.

At a previous hearing, Judge Martin Nolan said these crimes were “exceptionally serious”.

He said attacking someone with a knife “shows a certain violent propensity”, adding that the court would worry about someone who used a knife on another person because they had “crossed a Rubicon”.

He noted the mitigation included the guilty plea, Wade’s age and expressions of shame and remorse.

Judge Nolan said the court took the view that a period in custody was required to aid in the rehabilitation of Wade.

He previously told defence counsel Giollaíosa Ó Lideadha SC that the court could impose an immediate four-year period of detention or adjourn the case until after Wade’s 18^th birthday when a five-year sentence with two and half years suspended would be handed down.

After taking instructions from his client, Mr Ó Lideadha told the court his client wanted to be sentenced as an adult and Judge Nolan adjourned the case to Friday.

Wade, of Deerpark Drive, Kiltipper, Tallaght, pleaded guilty to multiple counts including assault causing harm, robbery and attempted robbery at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Finalising sentence on Friday, Judge Nolan said it was a “serious incident.”

Judge Nolan sentenced Wade to five years’ imprisonment, but suspended the final two-and-a-half years on the basis of the mitigation offered and on the basis of Wade’s age.

At an earlier hearing, an investigating garda said they were called to a park in Tallaght on May 8, 2022, following a report of a robbery in which a male was stabbed.

The victim was an Italian student, who had only recently arrived in Ireland.

When Gardaí arrived, they saw the injured party in agony and holding his left upper thigh. He was taken to hospital having sustained a 10cm deep stab wound to his thigh.

This victim was walking home through the park when he felt a blow to the back of his head. He stumbled and saw people behind him, but couldn’t make out their faces.

They started to punch him and he fell to the ground. There were three males and he heard them shouting to “take the money”.

When the injured party said he had no money, he was punched in the face. His phone fell from his pocket and one of the group took it. His assailants ran away and he went after them.

One of the males dropped his phone and the victim picked it up. The males turned around and asked him for the phone. The victim was then punched.

The victim realised he had been stabbed in the leg and thought that one of the males, later identified as Wade, had stabbed him. He managed to get his phone back and his attackers ran away.

Wade was identified from CCTV, which also showed him delivering the initial blow to the back of the victim’s head. The court heard the stabbing was not caught on the footage.

He was arrested and nothing of evidential value was obtained during interview. Gardaí also obtained an audio recording of Wade discussing his involvement in this incident.

A victim impact statement was handed to the court, but not read aloud. The victim has since returned home to Italy.

The court heard that Wade also attempted to rob a brother and sister, both 17, who were out walking their dog on February 19, 2023.

They heard a voice behind them say “give me all your money and your phone” and that he had a knife.

The boy refused and there was a scuffle during which he grabbed the knife and his hands were cut.

His sister intervened and Wade appeared to be going towards her, when her brother was stabbed in the stomach. He told his sister to leave, but she didn’t back away.

In her statement to Gardaí, the girl said Wade told her at one point to “shut up or I’ll stab you”.

The boy sustained a deep stab wound to his abdomen which required stitches. He underwent surgery to treat the cuts to his hands and requires ongoing treatment for this injury.

Wade was later identified by the victims. Nothing of evidential value was obtained during interview.

The garda witnesses agreed with Mr Ó Lideadha that the guilty plea was of assistance to the prosecution of both cases. One local garda agreed that Wade was involved with a negative peer group and was taking drugs at the time of the offending.

It was also accepted that there was a recent period during which Wade has not come to garda attention.

Mr Ó Lideadha put to one of the Gardaí that his client was carrying a knife to “protect himself” as he felt “under threat”. It was also accepted that two of Wade’s friends had died in tragic circumstances.

The court heard Wade is no longer living in the area and is working. He has a young child and his partner was present in court to support him.

A letter of apology, probation report and letter from his employer were handed to court. Mr Ó Lideadha asked the court to consider alternatives to custody as his client had “changed his life in fundamental ways” and was committed to rehabilitation.