The father of Dublin Gaelic footballer Jonny Cooper said a passing taxi driver probably saved his son from a "worse fate'' when he was attacked in Dublin's north inner city early on Saturday.
Brendan Cooper said the taxi driver came on the scene as the assailant was running off and very kindly stopped and helped Jonny by calling an ambulance.
“We are very grateful to that taxi driver,’’ said Mr Cooper. “I have yet to speak to him but I have his name and number and I will be making contact with him because we very much appreciate the action he took and it probably saved him from a worse fate.’’
Mr Cooper was speaking on the RTE Radio programme, Today with Sean O’Rourke, about the repeated stabbing of his 24-year-old son.
Gardaí have said Jonny was so traumatised by the attack that he could not fully describe what had happened.
His father said Jonny had been out socialising with friends after watching his club Na Fianna play Templeogue Synge Street and was making his way home when attacked by a lone assailant at 5am.
Mr Cooper said the assailant had demanded Jonny’s wallet, and the attack started when he said no.
“There was no discussion, no row,’’ he added. “He literally slashed him across the face…that was the initial interaction,’’ he added. “He tried to protect himself by putting his hand over his head.’’
He said the attack was “frenzied in every sense of the word.’’
Jonny, he said, had sustained nine stabbings to his head and neck.
“A lot of them are at the back of his neck,’’ he added. “He went into a crouching position to protect his head as best he could. He was sitting down at the time; he didn’t have the opportunity to get away from his assailant.’’
Mr Cooper said it was saddening to think that people like the assailant were walking around the street.
“This guy will do more damage unfortunately,’’ he added. “That is the sad thing… Jonny was very, very lucky… Perhaps the next person won’t be quite so lucky.’’
He said Jonny and his family were bowled over by the support from many people, including the GAA.
He said Jonny was making good progress and watched the All-Ireland football final on television.
"Being a keen GAA fan he wanted to know how the game was going so he watched it with mixed emotions, wishing he was there himself like he was 12 months ago and, as you rightly pointed out, but for a quirk of fate and the loss in the semi-final he wouldn't have been where he was on Saturday morning,'' Mr Cooped added.
