A man who stabbed a "good Samaritan" doorman with a penknife after he came to his rescue while he was being kicked on the ground was given a three-year suspended sentence by Judge Katherine Delahunt.
Peter Doran (20), of Leighlin Road, Crumlin, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing Ciaran Kinanhan harm on September 4th, 2005.
Judge Delahunt described it as a most "unfortunate series of events" and said that there was some confusion on Doran's part as to who was coming to his assistance and who was attacking him.
She accepted that there was "an element of self-defence involved" when Doran attacked the "good samaritan" who had come to help him.
Judge Delahunt heard that €500 in compensation had been handed over to the victim but ordered that a further €1,000 should be handed over within 12 months.
She suspended the jail term on condition that Doran kept the peace for five years and remained under the supervision of the probation service for 12 months.
Garda Louise Leonard told Sean Guerin BL, prosecuting, that Doran was out celebrating his 19th birthday when she noticed him being kicked on the ground on Wolfe Tone Quay.
She went to his assistance, along with the doorman from Judge Darley's public house on Parkgate Street, when Doran pulled a penknife from his trouser pocket and stabbed Mr Kinanhan in the leg.
She described it as a one-inch knife attached to a keyring.
Doran and Mr Kinanhan were then taken to hospital.
Doran later told gardaí that he had no memory of what happened and that he was extremely drunk. He had received bruises and "a busted nose" from the attack on him.
Garda Leonard said although Mr Kinanhan received a cut to his leg, it didn't need any stitches. He stopped working as a doorman and said he wouldn't offer to come to anyone's assistance in that kind of situation again.
Doran had no previous convictions and had not come to Garda attention since.
Garda Leonard accepted in cross-examination by Geraldine Small BL, defending, that Doran was lying on his stomach at the time of the assault and that he had, to an extent, acted in self-defence.