A MAN who slashed his victim across the face with a bottle at a nightclub and left him with a permanent facial scar has been given a five-year prison sentence by Judge Patricia Ryan.
Niall Hade (20) of St. Brendan's Terrace, Rockbrook, Rathfarnham, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing serious harm to Leon Gallagher at Bondi Beach nightclub, Stillorgan, Dublin, on October 8th, 2005. He had no previous convictions.
Judge Ryan suspended the last two years of the sentence having taken into account evidence that Hade's actions that night were "totally out of character" and that he had not come to Garda attention previously.
Garda Derek Cody told Noel Devitt BL, prosecuting, that he caught Hade after he fell having jumped over a wall to escape doormen at the club. When asked why he was running, Hade just replied he was sorry.
Garda Cody said the victim then came out of the nightclub with his face covered in blood. He said he got a "smack" on the side of the face and he looked up he "saw a guy running away and his friend running after the attacker".
Hade later came voluntarily to the Garda station and said that he had accidentally bumped into someone on the dance floor who he said "just started on me". He claimed he was then punched full force in the face while another man was hitting him from the side.
Garda Cody said Hade claimed he got away but later on he picked up a bottle and put it in his pocket. He said he saw the men again as he was leaving the club and hit Mr Gallagher in the face with the bottle because he was afraid.
Garda Cody told Mr Devitt that a medical report before the court indicated that Mr Gallagher would be left with a permanent scar to the right side of his face.
Garda Cody agreed with defence counsel, Ms Mary Ellen Ring SC, that Hade told gardaí he was sorry and he didn't mean to do it. Hade claimed the two lads were "huge" and agreed that he was smaller than the victim.
Ms Ring said that although she made no excuses for her client's behaviour on the night, she said there clearly was an incident prior to the assault but added that whatever happened there Hade acted in a way that was totally unjustified and out of character.
She said he has been attending a football coaching course with Fás and the FAI and was highly regarded in his local community. He had €2,200 in court to offer his victim which she said he put together under limited financial circumstances.
Ms Ring added that Mr Gallagher had been left with a "permanent reminder" of Hade's actions that night and that no amount of money would compensate for that.