Man (46) went beyond self-defence when he stabbed his friend during row
The Drogheda IndependentA man went beyond self defence when he stabbed his friend, the Dundalk Circuit Court has said.
Nikolajs Sehovcovs (46) was jailed for 1 year and 3 months following an incident which occurred when the victim became jealous that the defendant was in a relationship with his ex girlfriend.
Mr Sehovcovs, Nicholas Street, Dundalk, pleaded guilty to a charge of assault causing harm. A second charge of production of a flick-knife was taken into consideration.
The other man was a co-accused and had already been dealt with in a non-custodial way for committing affray.
It was accepted by gardaí that the co-accused assaulted Mr Sehovcovs first, punching him a number of times in the face, but Judge Dara Hayes said he then went beyond what might lawfully be allowed in self-defence.
Evidence was heard that on the night of July 19 into July 20, 2021, the other man dropped the woman home. He became upset when the defendant was at her house.
CCTV showed an argument between the former couple. She asked him to leave which he did, only to return.
The co-accused was acting aggressively and arguing with Mr Sehovcovs. A fight broke out off camera between the two men.
The defendant was punched in the face. He produced a penknife and stabbed his friend on a number of occasions.
The victim was in pain and there was a lot of blood.
Mr Sehovcovs told investigators he acted in self-defence and that he always kept this knife in his work trousers. It was accepted by gardaí that he did have a lawful excuse for the knife.
He has nine previous convictions under the Road Traffic Act but otherwise is unknown to the guards.
A probation officer assessed him at moderate risk of reoffending. Risk factors were his unemployment, alcohol misuse and difficult family background.
Born in Latvia when it was still part of the Soviet Union, he never met his father. His mother described to the probation officer her son’s bad childhood because of his stepfather’s behaviour.
He moved to Ireland to join his mother. Their relationship had broken down because of his drinking but it was good again since he stopped drinking.
Mr Sehovcovs is in regular contact with his 22-year-old daughter in Latvia.
A psychiatrist reported alcohol-related brain damage which could be halted by abstinence. Counselling was required.
The court noted he had failed to attend Probation Service interviews since the last adjournment, and that the service couldn’t offer supervision.
Judge Hayes said it was serious offending to produce and use a knife.
It may have been lawfully held but the defendant was not entitled to use the knife in this manner.
While the outcome was not as serious as it might have been, there could have been a fatal result. It went much further in self defence than the law allows him to go.
Judge Hayes said it was the Garda view that this was a once-off. The men are friendly again.
A 1 year and 9 months sentence was imposed, the final six months suspended.
Mr Sehovcovs said through an interpreter that he was hoping to get community service before adding that he accepted the sentence.