Longford siblings sentenced over ‘vicious and savage’ feud stabbing

A brother and sister have been sentenced for their part in a “vicious and savage” feud related knife attack on another man which left him with “life-threatening and disfiguring” injuries.

Daniel Lawrence (31) sustained multiple stab wounds to his head, stomach, back and arm following the attack outside Aldi, Athlone Road, Longford on April 1st, 2019.

Longford Circuit Criminal Court heard that when gardaí­ arrived at the scene they found a flap of skin, the size of a palm print, hanging off the victim’s head.

Kevin Stokes Jnr (29) and Chantel Stokes (20), both of Lisnanagh, Edgeworthstown, Co Longford, pleaded guilty to Section 3 assault causing harm as a result of the incident.

The court was told the incident had stemmed from "a history of antagonism" over Mr Lawrence's ongoing relationship with Kate Stokes, a sister of both of the accused.

On the day of the attack, Mr Lawrence and Kate Stokes had been about to enter the Aldi store when the defendants' mother Margaret Stokes and Chantel Stokes walked towards them.

The court was told Margaret Stokes accused Kate Stokes of calling her father names before slapping her across the face.

The court heard Mr Lawrence remonstrated with Margaret Stokes before Chantel Stokes produced a can of antiperspirant and sprayed in in his face.

Kevin Stokes Jnr ran across a car park and attacked Mr Lawrence with a knife, inflicting serious injuries to his head and stomach.

Judge Keenan Johnson said the court was "absolutely satisfied" that neither Kate Stokes or Daniel Lawrence had any weapons with them on the day and it was they who had been subjected to an unprovoked attack.

The court was further satisfied, he added, that Kevin Stokes Jnr had brought the knife to the scene.

During the ensuing Garda investigation, Kevin Stokes Jnr denied any involvement or knowledge of the assault.

Following discussions with her parents his sister Chantel, who was aged 17 at the time, made a voluntary statement where she took responsibility for the knife attack, with her mother making a subsequent statement to corroborate those claims.

Judge Johnson said it was clear both statements were a “tissue of lies” and were made in an effort to minimise the sanctions any follow up court proceedings could level against a 17-year-old with no prior convictions.

“The court finds it astonishing that any parent would allow their child to accept responsibility for such a serious offence, when they had not perpetrated it,” he said. “The actions of Chantel Stokes’ parents did a grave disservice to their daughter and are shameful.

“No caring or loving parent would allow their child to make a statement that they patently knew to be false to the gardaí­.”

Kevin Stokes Jnr fled to Northern Ireland where he was later arrested by the PSNI and bailed for an unrelated matter before returning to surrender himself to gardaí.

The father of two was on bail at the time of the knife attack on Mr Lawrence after receiving a two year sentence, suspended for five years, for a separate assault in 2016.

Delivering his ruling, Judge Johnson said the court was obligated to send out a clear and unequivocal message in response to the proliferation of feud-related violence Longford and its citizens had been forced to endure in recent times.

“One can only imagine the horror of the scene and the level of distress caused not only to the victim and his partner,but also to the many innocent bystanders who were going about their lawful business,” he said.

“The viciousness and intensity of this feud has no place in civilised society and the courts will not tolerate or continence the continuation of such feuds.”

He sentenced Kevin Stokes Jnr to three years and four months in prison for assault.

He also activated 12 months of a suspended two year prison term imposed on the accused in 2017 with that sentence to run consecutively to the assault term.

Chantel Stokes was ordered to do 240 hours of community service for violent disorder alongside a 12 month sentence for assault, suspended for three years.