A cook who stabbed another woman after a dispute at a children's party has been given a two-year suspended sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
The stabbing happened after the defendant, Leslie Kavanagh, was slapped in the face for smoking and drinking while she was seven months pregnant. Kavanagh (22), of Haddington Road, Dublin 4, pleaded guilty to assaulting Ms Sandra Bolger and injuring her on July 27th, 1997.
Garda Thomas Farrell said Kavanagh attended a children's party at Leahy's House, Sandy mount. A huge amount of alcohol was consumed by the adults present.
Ms Bolger criticised Kavanagh for drinking and smoking while seven months pregnant, and later slapped her on the face. At 1.20 a.m. Kavanagh and her sister, Sonia, returned to their apartment and Sonia began fighting with Ms Bolger. Kavanagh stepped forward and stabbed Ms Bolger with a steak knife.
Ms Bolger didn't realise she had been stabbed until the next morning and later contacted gardai.
Garda Farrell agreed with Mr Patrick Marrinan, defending, that Leslie Kavanagh was normally a very timid person who had never been in trouble with the law before. She was very remorseful and has offered £1,000 compensation to Ms Bolger.
Judge Frank O'Donnell said it was a "very, very sad case". He said he recognised that Kavanagh was normally a law-abiding person and had shown remorse. He ordered the £1,000 compensation be handed over within a week and bound Kavanagh to the peace for two years.