Martin Cunningham sentenced for machete assault near Finglas Garda station

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

Martin Cunningham was sentenced on 9 May 2022 to four years in prison, with the final 12 months suspended for two years after his release, for an assault near Finglas Garda station. Ms Justice Eileen Creedon imposed the sentence.

Cunningham pleaded guilty to assault causing harm and producing a machete. The Director of Public Prosecutions agreed to drop an attempted murder charge when he entered those pleas. The proceedings were reported on 9 May 2022.

The original charge concerned an attack on Kenneth Fitzsimons at Liam Mellows Road, Finglas, Dublin 11, on 10 April 2019. The court heard that Fitzsimons suffered deep wounds to his neck, arms, legs and torso, with his ribs exposed on both sides. He required four litres of blood before being sent for surgery.

The judge said the attack appeared related to an ongoing feud and that Cunningham remained at risk of violent reoffending. She set a five-year headline sentence, then reduced it to four years after considering factors including his remorse and early guilty plea.

During the two years after his release, Cunningham was required to undergo regular urinalysis and attend programmes advised by the Probation Services. He had been in prison since April 2019 after the High Court revoked his bail and had served more than three years by the time of sentencing.