A Dublin man has been jailed for 10 years for attempting to murder his girlfriend and stabbing four people who came to her aid.
The Central Criminal Court heard that as he repeatedly stabbed his girlfriend of three years in a flat close to the city centre in 1997, Brian O'Connor (30) shouted: "If I can't have you, you won't be with anyone else."
Mr Justice Carney sentenced O'Connor (30), of Royal Canal Bank, Phibsboro, to 10 years for attempting to murder Ms Clodagh Flood (24) on March 23rd, 1997, at St Jude's Gardens, Railway Street, Dublin. He sentenced him to eight years for wounding with intent two other people and four years for causing actual bodily harm to two others.
O'Connor stabbed Ms Flood 22 times when he arrived at her flat early in the morning armed with a knife. Earlier, he was thrown out of a nightclub and when it became clear she did not want to be with him he had a row with her outside. He then tried to follow her and her sister home and attempted to trip her up outside Trinity College. A passer-by intervened and "decked" O'Connor.
At around 4.30 a.m., O'Connor arrived at the flat of his girlfriend's mother in St Jude's Gardens. He first stabbed Ms Flood's uncle, Mr Jason Egan (26), who told him Ms Flood did not want to see him.
He went into the flat and forced his way into the back bedroom, where Ms Flood and her mother, Kathleen (46), were attempting to keep him out. He stabbed Mrs Flood on the right thigh and then began to stab his girlfriend.
Det Garda Noel Cluskey said O'Connor told Ms Flood he was going to kill her and then himself.
Mr Declan Donnery (26), a neighbour who came to investigate, was stabbed in the shoulder. Mr Donnery's brother, Francis (31), was on his way up the stairs when O'Connor stabbed him in the stomach.
O'Connor fled to England. He was extradited back in August last year. On July 12th, he pleaded guilty to attempted murder, malicious wounding and assault causing actual bodily harm.