A man who thrust a knife into a Somalian's mouth after insulting him racially at a Dublin nightclub has been jailed for three years by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Stuart Murphy (27), a Corkman of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and to brandishing a knife on O'Connell Street on September 19th, 2002. He also pleaded guilty to stealing a car, and driving it dangerously on Westmoreland Street on January 15th, 2003.
Sgt Sean McAvinchey told prosecuting counsel, Mr Paul Green, that Murphy approached the Somalian at the Parnell Mooney disco and asked to share some cannabis at the table.
During the conversation that followed, the injured man, who was socialising with friends, became uneasy at the turn the conversation with Murphy was taking and began ignoring him.
Sgt McAvinchey said Murphy became angry as he continued to be ignored, and began making remarks about foreigners arriving in Dublin and taking jobs from Irish citizens. Murphy then took a knife and thrust it into the Somali man's mouth. The injured man, whose mouth was cut, warned others in the premises that Murphy had a knife. When Murphy ran out of the club, some people followed him and he began brandishing the knife while standing near a taxi rank on O'Connell Street.
He was apprehended shortly afterwards.
Murphy was on bail for the offences when he was seen driving a stolen car on Westmoreland Street on January 15th, 2003. When gardaí asked him to pull over, he refused to do so.
He then tried to reverse the car, forcing a vehicle behind him to swerve to avoid a collision.
Counsel for Murphy, Mr Sean Gillane, said Murphy suffered from transient psychotic incidents triggered by his dependence on various drugs.
Judge Michael White sentenced Murphy to 2½ years for the knife attack and to six months consecutively for stealing the car and driving it dangerously.