Courts / Dublin / Report
Homeless man stabbed fellow hostel resident in face in row over loud TV
Summary
In a Dublin homeless hostel, 46‑year‑old George Donovan stabbed fellow resident Alan Rattigan in the face with a butter knife after a dispute over loud television. Donovan pleaded guilty to assault causing harm on 27 October 2015. Judge Melanie Greally, after a one‑year adjournment and a probation report showing progress, imposed a two‑and‑a‑half‑year sentence and suspended it in full. Rattigan suffered five superficial facial wounds and scarring. Donovan, who has 30 prior convictions and a serious heart condition, admitted the assault immediately to Gardaí, claiming he lost his temper. He has been homeless since age 15, was on methadone, and has since moved to a new hostel with staff support. The case was heard in Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Homeless man stabbed fellow hostel resident in face in row over loud TV. Charges or matters: assault causing harm to Alan Rattigan at a homeless hostel in Dublin 2 on October 27, 2015. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- October 27, 2015 Adjournment
- 2018-06-29 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: assault causing harm to Alan Rattigan at a homeless hostel in Dublin 2 on October 27, 2015 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Judge Greally imposed a two-and-a-half year sentence which she suspended in full. At the original sentence hearing last year, Sergeant Darragh Kenny told Eoin Lawlor BL, prosecuting, that on the evening of the assault, Donovan complained to Mr Rattigan about the noise in the hostel's TV room and that "terse words" were exchanged.; Judge Melanie Greally noted she had adjourned the case for one year after hearing the evidence in 2016, on condition that Donovan complied with supervision by the Probation Service during that time.
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