A Dublin man has been jailed for four years for the non-fatal stabbing of two innocent concert goers attending the Swedish House Mafia event in the Phoenix Park in July 2012.
Raymond Donnan of Clondalkin was part of a group of eight males and four females who instigated several attacks on people at the concert. His defence counsel, Michael Bowman BL, blamed the attacks on Donnan drinking an entire bottle of rum prior to entry to the concert arena maintaining that he was told by security staff to drink the whole bottle before entering.
Donnan pleaded guilty to two separate assaults. Judge Martin Nolan told Donnan that his victim was lucky that his victim's injuries weren't more severe.
It emerged during the hearing that an off duty Garda witnessed Donnan and several others set upon another man for no reason. The Garda immediately aught the assistance of security staff and other Gardai and, when he returned, witnessed the assault of one of the victims. The victim was struck in the head with a bottle and then stabbed in the arm with the broken glass.
When the victim attempted to flee Donnan stabbed him several times in the back with a four to five inch blade. Donnan then attacked other men but was eventually subdued by Gardai.
Donnan's previous convictions included sale or supply of heroin and knife possession in Dublin City Centre.
Bowman said there was little he could do to defend what was a "unprovoked gratuitous act of violence on innocent concert goers" but maintained that the event was "poorly marshalled", particularly in relation to non-confiscation of alcohol.
Source: Irish Times
