By Declan Brennan
A painter decorator who said he was having a “straightener” with his aunt’s partner when he stabbed him 12 times has been jailed for two and a half years.
Thomas McAuley (26) with an address at Shamrock Terrace, North Wall, Dublin used a sharply pointed implement to stab the victim repeatedly in the legs, feet and hip, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard.
He pleaded guilty to assault causing harm of Ian Flynn at Markievicz House in Dublin city centre on March 13 last.
The victim told gardai that he didn’t remember anything about the assault apart from waking up in a pool of blood. He declined an offer to provide a victim impact statement.
Garda Jordan Kennedy told Grainne O’Neill BL, prosecuting, that the victim had been in the flat complex and had gone outside when he was attacked. He played footage in court showing McAuley attacking the man who cried out multiple times as McAuley stabbed him.
Gda Kennedy said gardai attended at the scene and later examined footage of the attack that was circulating on social media. McAuley was identified from this as he had been recorded on camera earlier attending at a city centre garda station to sign on while wearing the same clothing.
Joe Mulrean BL, defending McAuley, told the court that his client’s instructions were that this was a personal dispute between him and his aunt’s partner. Counsel said McAuley said he didn’t bring any implement with him to “the straightener” and that he now wished to apologise to the victim.
His 42 previous convictions are mainly for road traffic offences, Gda Kennedy testified.
Mr Mulrean said his client is a qualified painter decorator. He said he had some history of cannabis use but was now clean.
Judge Martin Nolan noted the victim was left unconscious after the attack. He noted that the guilty plea was a very valuable one given the fact that the prosecution were relying on footage of uncertain origin to prove its case.
He said the early guilty plea also demonstrated genuine remorse. Based on this mitigating factor, he reduced a headline sentence of five years to two and a half years.