A JUDGE has spoken out strongly against people bringing knives with them to debs and graduation dances as he jailed a 21-year-old man for three years for a violent attack on a young man following a debs dance in Cork city.
Judge Patrick Moran said it was shocking that somebody would bring a knife with them to a debs dance as he sentenced Thomas Noonan to four years in jail with one year suspended for assault causing harm to Jonathan Gough on September 26th, 2009.
“I am shocked that you would go to a debs party with a knife,” said Judge Moran as he imposed sentence on Noonan, from Brooklodge, Glanmire. The offence included assault causing harm, two relating to the knife and one for violent disorder.
Co-accused Sean Greenwood (20), from Riverside, Glanmire, was sentenced to three years with 18 months suspended for assault causing harm and violent disorder while Jonathan Delaney (19) from Meadowbrook, Glanmire, was given a three-year suspended sentence.
Noonan and Greenwood, who both had previous convictions for public order offences, had been convicted by a jury following an eight-day trial at Cork Circuit Criminal Court while Delaney had pleaded guilty to violent disorder and assault causing harm to then 18-year-old Mr Gough. Det Garda James Butler told the court that the three accused and Mr Gough were all attending the Glanmire Community College debs on the night of September 26th, 2009, in Silversprings Hotel and had come into Cork city centre for food at about 2.30am.
There was an altercation involving the accused and Mr Gough at a fast food outlet on Mac Curtain Street but Mr Gough and his sister, Louise, had moved away and went to the Metropole Hotel where Noonan produced the knife to Louise Gough and Mr Gough decided to leave the area.
He was pursued by the other three youths down Brian Boru Street and up Patrick’s Quay where he tripped and fell and the three accused began kicking him on the ground before he felt a stabbing pain at the back of his head and he realised he was stabbed three times.
Det Garda Butler said Mr Gough managed to get a taxi home and was later taken to hospital.Although he had made a good recovery physically from his injuries, he had become withdrawn and was no longer confident about going out in Cork city.
Mr Gough also found the experience of the trial extremely stressful and he was very appreciative to Delaney for pleading guilty to his involvement in the assault, said Det Garda Butler.
Judge Moran noted all three accused had consumed large quantities of alcohol on the night but that did not excuse what they had done to Mr Gough and anyone getting involved in escapades involving knives had to be punished.
