A MAN who launched “a brutal, savage and life-changing attack” on a childhood acquaintance has been sentenced to four years in prison by Judge Frank O’Donnell at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Niall Byrne (20) of Sundale Park, Tallaght assaulted Shane Quinn with an ornamental sword after breaking into the home he shared with his girlfriend.
Byrne pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Quinn (27), causing him harm and to burglary at his home on January 1st, 2008. He had nine previous convictions for drug offences.
Garda Pádraig Mullarkey told Una Ní Raifeartaigh, prosecuting, that he was called to the home of Mr Quinn (27) and his girlfriend Rosaleen Lynch that morning, to find the victim with a slash wound to his head and cuts on his arm.
Ms Lynch was bleeding from her nose and lip and their front door had been badly damaged as if it had been kicked in.
They were both taken to hospital where Ms Lynch received treatment for a broken nose. Both have since made “a substantial recovery from their injuries”.
The judge commented at the sentence hearing that this was “a horrendous attack on two innocent people in the middle of the night” and described it as an ultimate nightmare. He said he was not sure if the “penalty available” to the court was adequate.
He said Byrne’s later apology would have been of “little consolation” to Mr Quinn who has been “living in fear” since this attack and a victim impact report indicated that the incident that night had changed his life.
The judge suspended the last year of the sentence on condition that Byrne be of good behaviour for four years upon his release.