Darragh Quigley jailed for stabbing grandmother after Dublin Christmas lights event

This report is a localnews.ie summary based on public court reporting and records; sources are listed below.

Darragh Quigley was sentenced to 13 years in prison, with the final year suspended for five years, after pleading guilty to the attempted murder of Gretta McCullough in Dublin in 2023. The Central Criminal Court set a headline sentence of 14½ years.

The court heard Quigley followed McCullough and her husband for several minutes before stabbing her in the neck from behind with a knife. McCullough had come to the city centre to see the Christmas lights. The judge described the attack as totally unprovoked and said the blade narrowly missed crucial structures.

The judge said Quigley had significant mental health issues, was actively psychotic at the time and had stopped following his treatment regime. A psychiatrist concluded he could distinguish right from wrong and could have restrained himself. The judge noted Quigley’s guilty plea and letter of remorse, and recommended a psychiatric assessment two months before his release.