Man involved in feud-related attack in which teen (14) was stabbed with 'zombie' knife

Niamh O’Donoghue and Declan Brennan

A young man who took part in a feud-related attack in which a teenager was stabbed in the chest has received a partially suspended prison term of nine years.

The 14-year-old victim suffered a collapsed lung after he was stabbed in the chest with a ‘Rambo First Blood II zombie’ knife. The aggravated burglary on February 4th, 2025, was part of a tit-for-tat feud which “has not yet abated”, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard.

The teenager has made a full recovery but still suffers from ongoing psychological problems, the court heard.

Luke Gilligan (19) of Greencourt Crescent, Ballymun, was put on trial last February but later pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary. When the charge was put to him, Gilligan replied “guilty, yeah".

Judge Martina Baxter heard evidence in the case on March 6th last but adjourned sentencing to May 19th and ordered prison governor and probation reports.

'Zombie' knife

Sentencing him on Wednesday, she said the weapons, which included a machete as well as the 'Zombie' knife, were capable of causing serious harm. She said she was taking into consideration the injuries inflicted on the teenage boy as well as Gilligan’s age at the time and the fact that he himself had been attacked as part of the feud.

She imposed a nine-year prison sentence but suspended the final six months on condition that he keep the peace and be of good behaviour and engage with the Probation Service during his time in custody and for six months after his release.

In a previous pre-trial hearing in which the State successfully applied for witnesses to be able to give evidence via video link, a garda told the court that the feud was “one of the most violent feuds I’ve come across”.

“There has (sic) been shootings, IUDS left on doorsteps, attempts at arson, allegations of violent disorder on the streets, shots fired outside houses,” the garda testified.

Counsel for Gilligan asked Judge Baxter to recommend that he remain in custody in Limerick prison. After sentence was passed, several people walked out of court and one male was heard to say to a garda in court “you do realise you got the wrong person?”

At the sentencing hearing in March, Detective Garda Tomas Barrett said the homeowner no longer resides at that address and she did not make a victim impact statement. Significant damage was done to the property - the windows were smashed and there were two children in the house at the time.

He told David Perry BL, prosecuting, that a garda investigation commenced straight away and Gilligan was identified immediately as the person responsible.

Gilligan turned 18 the week before, the court heard. The court heard there were a “series of tit-for-tat incidents in the area”. When he was 16, Gilligan was subjected to a very serious machete attack while two men had him on ground.

His family home was burned and there was another attempt to set fire to the house. The injured party was not involved but he would be related to people on the other side, Det Gda Barrett told the court.

Judge Baxter asked if the ongoing feud had been resolved to which Perry replied: “I understand that situation hasn’t abated”.

The court heard that gardai arrested Gilligan at his house on February 4th, 2025. His clothing was seized and he was detained and questioned but nothing of evidential value arose in the “no comment interview”.

CCTV

CCTV footage of the house showed silhouettes of people coming and going and motion sensors and footage at 6.13pm showed four people entering the front driveway. At 6.14pm two people were observed leaving the property.

The sound of glass smashing was heard, and a female voice was shouting out “Luke”. One of the people who had left could be heard shouting: “Luke, Luke, come on”. A third person was then seen leaving the property.

A search was carried out on February 15, 2025. A ‘Rambo First Blood II” knife with a 10 to12-inch blade, which could be classed as a zombie knife, was found hidden in between a wall and exterior shed in the garden, Det Gda Barrett told the court.

From the evidence, Gilligan was charged and released on bail. His jacket was sent for analysis and blood staining on left sleeve matched the injured party’s DNA.

Gilligan was charged on February 5th and was on bail. On February 14th, he was remanded in custody for breach of his bail and has been in custody solely in respect of this matter since March 2025.

The defence contested whether the use of video link for witnesses to give evidence was allowable in the trial but the prosecution was successful. On February 24th last, he pleaded not guilty to aggravated burglary.

Prior to the opening of the trial on February 25th, Gilligan was re-arraigned and entered a guilty plea to aggravated burglary.

In mitigation, Dominic McGinn SC, defending, said the victim had suffered manifestly serious injuries in his “own family home” where he was “attacked and shots were fired”.

Counsel said his client is “not mature” and has learning and behavioural difficulties, but the incident was “utterly unacceptable”.

He had learning and behavioural difficulties and attended a special school. A number of reports were handed in to the court.

Counsel said Gilligan’s mother was seriously ill. Gilligan “wasn’t working” and has been on Disability Allowance. He did not attend secondary school and at the time of the incident he was living with his sister in Greenfort.

Gilligan was “anxious to finalise matters” but “a probation report would be of help” as documents had been lost from a “previous fire in the home”, counsel said.

At the time of his plea Gilligan was on remand in Cloverhill Prison but Mr McGinn asked for him to be moved to Wheatfield Prison. Gilligan has also been in Limerick Prison and is now in Wheatfield Prison, Mr McGinn told the court, and there were “certain prisons he’s worried about being in.”