By Isabel Hayes
A man who slashed the faces of a woman and a man in separate incidents in Dublin city centre, leaving them with scarring from ear to mouth, has been jailed for 16 years.
Jonathan Cummins (38) of Henrietta Place, Dublin 1, was found guilty by a jury of intentionally causing serious harm to another man, whose face he slashed with a blade, following a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial last November.
He was also found guilty of assault causing harm to a woman, producing a knife in the course of an assault and possessing a scissors. All of these offences took place on Jervis St, Dublin 1, on November 2, 2023.
Prior to the trial, Cummins pleaded guilty to one count of intentionally causing serious harm to another woman, whose face was also slashed, at Moore Lane on the same date. This woman, who was also left with significant scarring from her ear to her mouth, has since died of unrelated causes, the court heard.
Cummins has 18 previous convictions, including for various assaults.
Seoirse O Dúnlaing SC, prosecuting, told the court that the individuals in the case had “difficult lives, lives that were blighted by addiction and homelessness”.
On the day in question, Cummins came across his male victim in Wolfe Tone Square on Jervis Street and the pair were seen “squaring up” to each other. A brawl then broke out between them in Marks and Spencer in Mary Street, which was captured on CCTV.
The court heard that Cummins returned to Wolfe Tone Square some 40 minutes later, where he attacked the man with a blade, slashing his face from mouth to ear. Another woman present was assaulted by Cummins in the course of this attack.
The attack was witnessed by a car park attendant at Jervis Street shopping centre.
Cummins left the scene in the presence of another woman, and the pair walked up to Moore Lane, where they encountered a woman who was also homeless. Cummins also attacked this woman, in an entirely unprovoked and vicious assault, slashing her face from mouth to ear.
Cummins and his companion were stopped by gardai a short while later and he was found to be in possession of a scissors. The woman with him was found to be in possession of a blade.
The court heard the male victim is now in custody on other matters. He did not give a victim impact statement. The female victim of the slash attack died some time later from unrelated causes, the court heard.
The woman who was the victim of the assault causing harm charge gave evidence at trial. The court heard she was in fear of Cummins and required special measures while giving evidence.
Conor Devally SC, defending, said Cummins had a difficult childhood. Both of his parents died when he was young from HIV-related illness and he was raised by his grandparents. He left school at the age of 13. He is a longterm drug user.
Sentencing Cummins on Monday, Judge Elva Duffy said his offending fell into the “exceptional range”. She noted the “appalling nature” of the serious harm injuries inflicted on both the man and the woman, and the fact that the attack on the woman was “entirely unprovoked”.
She handed down a sentence of 16 years. Cummins has been in custody since the date of the offence.