Victim left with scar after slashing incident in hotel
A WESTPORT man who slashed another man across the face with a stanley knife blade in a Westport hotel was sentenced to seven years imprisonment at last week’s sitting of Castlebar Circuit Court.
Stephen Ruane (22) of 19 Cloomonad Close, Westport was sentenced for causing serious harm to Newport man David Keane by slashing him across the face with a stanley knife blade, which has left him with a permanent scar along his face.
His neighbour, David Gibbons received a two and a half years suspended sentence for kicking Mr Keane in the face earlier in the night, while another neighbour Danny Ring (24) of 13 Cloonmonad Close, Westport was sentenced to two and a half years for a separate assault which also involved Mr Ruane.
Ruane and Ring were also charged with assault causing harm to Damien Malone at Cherry Tree Avenue, Westport on May 21 last. Both men were drunk at the time of the unprovoked attack where they kicked and punched Mr Malone in the middle of the afternoon.
Commenting on the attack on Mr Keane, Judge Tony Hunt said that because of the attack, Mr Keane was left with a visible scar which leaves people to think ‘you are some way the aggressor and by definition a trouble maker’.
“Mr Keane has been left to carry the can. This injury continues to be the subject of comment and his injury will be there long after Mr Ruane has completed his sentence,” he said.
Last October, the Court heard the attack took place when a charity boxing competition was taking place in the Castlecourt Hotel on December 2, 2009. Mr Keane was initially attacked by Ruane and Gibbons in the toilet which broke his front dentures. Moments later a second incident took place outside the toilet where Mr Ruane produced a blade and cut him with the blade of a stanley knife.
Mr Keane was saturated in blood and almost unrecognisable with his face covered in blood. He explained that following the attack he found it difficult to smile and the tear ducts in his right eye were not working properly which results in tears flowing from them. He said he finds it difficult when people ask him about the scar and gave up his job as a doorman, was drinking heavily and was seeing a counsellor.
Mr Ruane has a history of drink and drug abuse and has a number of previous conviction dating back to 2004 and received a two year prison sentence in 2007 for assault causing harm.
Ms Mary Rose Gearty, Senior Counsel for Mr Ruane said that at the time of the incident he was attending a course in motor technology and the blade was used for his course. She said that while he has been in custody, he has completed an anger management court and asked the court to be mindful that his probation report said there was room for optimism.
Mr Eoin Garavan, BL for Mr Gibbons said his client was sorry for what happened to Mr Keane and accepts he should not have attacked him. He said he was ‘easily led’ and while he has a drink problem, he has reduced his consumption and has kept out of trouble. Mr Garavan added that he was the full-time carer for his mother and uncle. Mr Gibbons has previous convictions for public order but none for assault.
In relation to the attack on Mr Malone, the court heard that while he was walking in the estate, he saw Mr Ring kick a dog and he asked him what he was going to do about it. Mr Ring started punching and kicking Mr Malone, who was knocked to the ground and Mr Ruane also joined in the attack.
Since the attack, Mr Malone was left with a scar on his forehead and does not want to go out walking. Mr Ring also has a number of previous convictions and was jailed in 2007 for the same offence involving Mr Ruane.
Ms Sarah-Kate Foley, BL for Mr Ruane said he was deeply remorseful and asked that his sentence would be concurrent with that involving Mr Keane. Ms Ann-Marie Courell, BL for Mr Ring said he knew what he did was wrong and had only himself to blame. She said he had problems with drink and drugs but at the moment was drug free.
Judge Hunt described this incident as ‘very mean and nasty attack on a vulnerable person who has been affected by these serious injuries’.
In sentencing, Judge Hunt said that Mr Ruane had gone from a ‘considerable nuisance’ to a ‘considerable danger to others’ and was ‘prepared to use violence’. He said in his view anyone who brings a knife to a scene of entertainment should serve a period of ‘at least five years’.
He sentenced Mr Ruane to seven years imprisonment but suspended the final two years on the condition he enters a bond of good behaviour for four years. He added he was unimpressed with his involvement in the attack on Mr Malone considering it took place after the attack on Mr Keane. However, ‘with some reluctance’ he agreed to deal with it as a concurrent sentence and sentenced him to two years and six months.
Judge Hunt told Mr Gibbons that in light of his circumstances he would suspend his sentence but warned him that he was giving him one last chance and if he was convicted again he would ‘go to jail in double quick time’. He received a two and a half year sentence which was suspended for three years on the condition he complies with the orders of the probation service for 12 months and does not consume alcohol or drugs.
In relation to Mr Ring he said he had a long history of anti-social behaviour and had ‘little concern if he stayed in prison or not’. He sentenced him to two years and six months imprisonment but suspended the last year for a period of two years on the condition he abstains from alcohol and drugs and refrains from associating with persons known to him with criminal convictions.
Mr Ruane’s sentence were backdated to October 12, 2010 while Mr Ring’s was backdated to September 2.
