Michael Corbett sentenced for attempted murder at Hellfire Club

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

Michael Corbett was sentenced at the Central Criminal Court to nine years in prison, with six years suspended. The proceedings were reported on 16 July 2018.

Corbett had pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of a 17-year-old at the Hellfire Club on Montpelier Hill on 27 June 2016. Prosecuting counsel Luán Ó Braonáin SC said the plea was entered on the basis that two other counts would be taken into consideration. Corbett had also been charged with assault causing harm to the teenager’s then girlfriend and their male friend.

The three teenagers had been camping when Corbett attacked the 17-year-old, cutting his throat and stabbing him in the chest. His two friends were also assaulted after coming to his aid.

In garda interviews, Corbett said he felt the teenagers were having a strange, coded conversation and that he feared they would attack him. He accepted that he had assaulted all three but said he did not think he had stabbed anyone.

Mr Justice Michael White said Corbett had been suffering from paranoid schizophrenia at the time and that his responsibility was significantly diminished. He said Corbett’s abuse of alcohol and drugs had severely exacerbated his difficulties and was an aggravating factor.

The judge said a substantial part of the sentence should be suspended so Corbett could be supervised by probation services and medically monitored. The specific conditions were to be finalised after a probation report on 31 July, and Corbett was remanded in custody until then. The two friends expressed disappointment at the suspension.