Jail for Patrick's Street attack: Broken bottle jabbed into man's face ten times

A three-year jail term was imposed today on a man who jabbed a broken bottle ten times into another man’s face in Cork city.

Garda Shane Coakley who investigated the assault said that after the victim was stabbed ten times in the face he fell to the ground and was then stabbed another five times.

Judge Seán Ó Donnabháin imposed the jail term on 48-year-old Paul McCarthy at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

McCarthy pleaded guilty to the charge of assault causing harm on what was the first day of the circuit court sessions yesterday.

Judge Ó Donnabháin said, “The plea is significant matter. It allows me to deal with in a manner other than I would have. 

"This was a deliberated and dangerous assault with a bottle. The deliberation was that he broke the bottle first and then struck the unfortunate victim with it.

“He is entitled to the benefit of that plea but have no doubt about it, this was a very serious offence. 

"To go after a person with a broken bottle and strike him on a continuous basis in and about the face.

“Initially, the injuries were nasty enough but the injured party made a good recovery. I will bear that in mind.

“The accused has an appalling history of offences. I take that on board – bad and complicated from the get-go.” 

The judge backdated the sentence to November when McCarthy went into custody.

Garda Shane Coakley gave evidence of the crime scene at Patrick Street on November 28, 2019, where he found a man lying on the ground bleeding heavily from the face.

“While at the scene I approached Mr McCarthy outside the SuperDry shop. 

"Mr McCarthy was lying down on the quilt and there was blood on the quilt and he had a cut on his right hand.

“Gardaí downloaded CCTV which showed Mr McCarthy going over to a bollard and smashing a glass bottle on it. He then hit the injured part in the face ten times with the broken bottle.

“He then stands over him and hits him five more times in the face when he was standing over him.

“In the CCTV the smashed green glass bottle can be seen coming from his hand.

“The injured party had to get 25 stitches to his face. Mr McCarthy is clearly identifiable from CCTV.” 

The accused had 138 previous convictions, including one for assault causing harm, two for having weapons, one for producing a weapon while making threats to kill, one for robbery, three for burglary and six for causing criminal damage.

Emmet Boyle, defence, barrister, said of the defendant, “He was minding his own business bedding down for the night in a doorway with a lady, and a man with a disability, bedding down for the night, when the injured party came over and pushed him."

Garda Coakley confirmed that the injured party, a Dublin man, did push Paul McCarthy, knocking him from a sitting position to one where he was lying on the ground. 

This man then walked away. 

McCarthy got up, broke a glass bottle against a bollard and used the broken bottle to stab him repeatedly.