A ROBBER whose attack on six teenage friends was described as “the quality of nightmares”, has been given five years’ detention by Judge Katherine Delahunt.
Jonathan O’Shea (20), of Dominick Street Lower, Dublin, stabbed three young men and held a knife to the throats of two young girls while demanding handbags, money and phones from them.
O’Shea sliced the wrist of his first victim with a knife after grabbing the young man’s arm and demanding money and then stabbed another young man in the shoulder and abdomen and a third in the shoulder.
Two of them had to have stitches inserted in hospital to their wounds.
Judge Delahunt noted that the parents of one of the victims had contacted the Probation Service to indicate they would be willing to partake in mediation with O’Shea. She commended the youngster and his family for their bravery in taking this step.
O’Shea told gardaí he put a knife to the throat of a girl “for the buzz but didn’t mean to harm her”.
He also admitted having a knife and “sticking it in three fellas” and said he attacked them because he was drunk.
He pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to four robberies and two attempted robberies which took place on Templeogue Road, Terenure, on July 7th, 2006. He had two previous convictions for public order offences.
Judge Delahunt told O’Shea: “These young people had the misfortune to run into you while you were in possession of a knife, which you showed no fear in using against your victims, who had nothing to defend themselves with.”
She described O’Shea’s actions that night as being a succession of very serious attacks on young, unarmed and very vulnerable young people and added that it was clear his crime had serious physical and psychological consequences on them.
Judge Delahunt accepted that O’Shea had shown genuine remorse but said that a probation report indicated he still insisted that alcohol was to blame.
“I am sure your counsel has made you aware that alcohol will never be accepted as an excuse in this court,” Judge Delahunt told O’Shea.
She said she accepted that he had also made “significant steps” to rehabilitate and suspended the last two years of the sentence on strict conditions.