This article is from page 14 of the 2008-04-29 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 14 JPG
A KILRUSH teenager is facing three years behind bars for a stabbing, af- ter a court heard he breached his cur- few on nine occasions.
Daniel O’Brien Junior (19), of Sycamore Drive, John Paul Estate, Kilrush, had been ordered to abide by a number of conditions, including that he obey a curfew and be home ease nopeee
This was after he pleaded guilty in April 2005 to a charge of assault causing serious harm, in which he stabbed another man in the stomach in 2003, when the accused was just 15. The victim had sustained ‘near fatal injuries’ according to medics who treated him.
The sentencing had been adjourned and he had been ordered to abide by various conditions.
However, at Ennis Circuit Court yesterday, gardai in Kilrush outlined details of nine occasions in which he east eOm Aso OL UNE KAYA
Five of those were since his last appearance in the court, last Novem- ber.
Garda Donal Corkery told the court that O’Brien was arrested in Thurles at 12.30am on November 18 last and charged with a number of offences. These were still being dealt with in the district court.
He was seen in a licensed premises in Thurles at 10.45pm later that day, meaning it would be impossible for him to get to his home in Kilrush by Bhyee
On December 24, Garda Corkery stopped O’Brien in a car in Kilrush at 11.15pm.
He was seen in two west Clare bars in the early hours of the morning, on two other dates.
O’Brien’s barrister Mark Nicholas said that he was in Thurles to pur- sue his ‘scaffolding ticket’ as he has worked with a scaffolding firm in re- nM UD este
‘He doesn’t recall being there the following day,’ he said, relating to the second alleged sighting of O’Brien in Thurles.
“Is nine breaches of curfew a man out of control? Two were family occasions. He is aged 19. It is very hard to be at home every night at 11 o’clock,” he added.
Judge Carroll Moran said that when details of the stabbing case were heard in court, he had a four year suspended sentence in mind. How- ever, he said he must impose a jail term, after hearing about the curfew pasts slone
‘He ran at him (the victim) with a knife, with a blade about six inches long. . . the injured party was sem1- conscious. He could have died,” said the judge.
He said that a curfew of 11pm was “reasonably realistic.”
“The cumulative effect of all these, | must impose a prison sentence of four years, and suspend the last year, said the judge.