A chef was slashed across the wrist with a large knife by another chef in a row over burnt steaks.
At Ennis Circuit Court on Thursday, 47-year-old Dubliner Neville Fitzpatrick said he felt sure he would die after what he called a "vicious assault" by Thai chef Songwut Sanban (42) in the kitchen of the Falls Hotel in Ennistymon, Co Clare.
A chef with 30 years’ experience, Mr Fitzpatrick has not worked as a chef since the knife attack, in which he sustained a broken left wrist and had one tendon severed and another severely damaged.
Garda Mary Fahy of Ennistymon Garda station told the court it was Mr Fitzpatrick's belief that Mr Sanban "had sabotaged his steaks", ordered by a group of golfers on the night of September 11th, 2014.
In the case, Mr Sanban pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Mr Fitzpatrick. Conviction of such an offence can result in a jail term of up to five years.
A witness to the incident, hotel waiter Killian O’Grady, said that on starting work at 6pm on the night he could see that tension was high in the kitchen and the two chefs were not talking.
Trade insults
In his statement read out in court, Mr O’Grady said the two chefs had started to trade insults, with Mr Fitzpatrick telling his Thai colleague “that his mother was a lap dancer”.
Mr O'Grady said that Mr Sanban - now living in Co Kildare - muttered back at Mr Fitzpatrick in Thai, and when asked by Mr Fitzpatrick to say in English what he was saying, Mr Sanban said he "would rip his throat out".
Mr O’Grady said Mr Fitzpatrick was dealing with bar food and was much busier on the night than Mr Sanban, who looked after Thai food orders.
Mr Fitzpatrick asked for Mr Sanban’s help in relation to a couple of late orders.
However, when Mr Fitzpatrick saw that four steaks ordered by golfers were burnt, he picked up the docket for the steaks and shoved it into Mr Sanban’s face.
Mr O’Grady said Mr Fitzpatrick shouted at him: “You had only one order to do, and why didn’t you look after the steaks?”
Mr O’Grady said he was sick of their behaviour, and went out to tell the golfers their steaks would be late.
Fist raised
He said when he returned he saw Mr Fitzpatrick with his fist raised and Mr Sanban had a large knife in his right hand “and slashed down on Neville’s raised arm”.
Garda Fahy agreed with Judge Gerald Keys that there was an element of provocation in the incident, but nothing to justify Mr Sanban using the knife.
A father of an eight-month-old baby, Mr Sanban offered €2,000 to Mr Fitzpatrick in court, which was refused by the victim.
Mr Fitzpatrick said he would like to see justice done in court.
The judge remanded Mr Sanban on continuing bail for sentence on July 25th next.
