A student who smashed a bottle into another student's face in a Rathmines nightclub has received a three-year sentence at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Judge Katherine Delahunt suspended two years of the sentence, saying it was "a very difficult case" and at the more serious end of an assault causing harm charge.
Ciarán Doyle (21), a student at the National College of Art and Design, of Beechfield Road, Perrystown, pleaded guilty to assaulting Donal Lavelle causing him harm in the Tram Co club on Lower Rathmines Road on March 18th, 2006.
Judge Delahunt heard there had been an altercation between the two men after Mr Lavelle brushed against Doyle.
More than half an hour later Doyle went up to Mr Lavelle and brought a pint bottle down on his forehead and stabbed him in the arm with it after it smashed.
Judge Delahunt said the 40- to 60-minute gap between the first incident and the following assault was a "significant aggravating factor" as it indicated a degree of premeditation on Doyle's part.
She said young people had a right to go out in the city to enjoy themselves without fear of suffering such an attack.
Mr Lavelle received 12 stitches to his face and 25 to his arm. He has scars on his nose and arm and may need laser surgery in the future costing €5,000.
Doyle's father earlier told Judge Delahunt that his son could not believe what he had done and had said it was the worst thing that had ever happened in his life.
Garda Keith Morrissey had told Paul Carroll, prosecuting, that the two students, who did not know each other, were drinking in Tram Co on St Patrick's night when Mr Lavelle brushed against Doyle.
Garda Morrissey said Doyle became aggressive and asked Mr Lavelle where he was from and what he was looking at. Mr Lavelle punched Doyle in the face and the two became involved in a short tussle.
They were separated by security staff and told to calm down.
More than half an hour later, Mr Lavelle was standing by the dance floor when Doyle hit him on the head with a glass bottle which broke on impact. Doyle scraped it down Mr Lavelle's face and then stabbed him in the right arm.
Garda Morrissey agreed with Martina Baxter, defending, that Doyle was drunk and had been earlier injured by the punch to his face.
He was "visibly upset" when taken from the scene to a Garda station and told gardaí he could not believe what he had done.