Courts / Dublin / Report
Former soldier's mess fight took "dark turn" when he grabbed bottle and knife
Summary
Frank Kelly, 40, was jailed for two years and three months after a mess fight with his childhood friend Darren Sherlock escalated into violence. The pair had been socialising and drinking at Kelly's home when Kelly suggested a fight. Sherlock recorded the altercation on his phone. According to the prosecution, the fight began with grappling and shoving but turned darker when Kelly grabbed a bottle of whiskey and struck Sherlock. Garda Diane Byrne reported that Kelly then took a knife and threatened to stab Sherlock. Kelly stabbed Sherlock nine times, causing superficial wounds to the back and a suspected punctured lung. Sherlock later collapsed on the road, was treated in hospital, and has since recovered. Kelly pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and was sentenced by Judge Martin Nolan, who noted the escalation from a "mess fight" to a criminal act.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Former soldier's mess fight took "dark turn" when he grabbed bottle and knife. Charges or matters: assault causing harm to Mr Sherlock in Cabra, Dublin on January 29, 2022. Procedural stage: sentence
When:
- January 29, 2022 Incident
- 2025-10-29 Publication
Case subjects
Defendant
Charges: assault causing harm to Mr Sherlock in Cabra, Dublin on January 29, 2022 (Admitted)
Plea: Guilty
Outcome: Judge Nolan said that Kelly was "an accomplished man" referring to his six years spent in the army and said he was satisfied that he was "unlikely to re-offend to this degree in the future" He said he cannot accede to a defence application not to send Kelly to prison. "When he picked up that bottle it escalated, it went beyond a non-custodial position when he picked up the knife," Judge Nolan said before he sentenced Kelly to two years and three months in prison, having set a headline sentence of four and half years.
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