A violent offender repeatedly slashed and stabbed an acquaintance in the face with a "homemade shank", inflicting a cut so deep the victim's jaw was exposed, while shouting “I’m going to kill you” in front of a city centre Garda station, a court has heard.
Graham McGuinness (32), who has 53 previous convictions, was initially charged with the attempted murder of Martin Reilly. However, in June the 32-year-old pleaded guilty to the offence of causing serious harm and the State accepted his plea.
Mr Reilly has been left with lifelong scars from the incident, the Central Criminal Court was told on Friday.
While the attack was going on he feared for his life and believed he was “going to die that night”, the court heard.
Garda James Seymour told Grainne O’Neill BL, prosecuting, that McGuinness and Mr Reilly were both in the vicinity of Busáras in the early hours of June 11th, 2020 waiting for a bus when an altercation occurred. He confirmed that the two men were known to each other prior to this event.
A copy of CCTV footage of the incident was provided to Ms Justice Karen O’Connor after she was informed that the court system was down.
The court heard on June 10th, Mr Reilly had been “out and about” in various places and, by his own admission, had been looking to source drugs to feed his own habit.
Garda Seymour said later that night at around 12:30am, both men were waiting for a bus at Store Street close to Busáras when an altercation occurred, and Mr McGuinness tried to slash Mr Reilly’s neck before stabbing and slashing at the victim numerous times. While this unfolded, McGuinness was repeatedly heard shouting “I’m going to kill you”, Gda Seymour said.
He said the attack continued as Mr Reilly tried to escape and the pair moved from the entrance of Busáras towards Store Street Garda Station. Garda Seymour said Mr Reilly then stepped out in front of a Luas line in an attempt to try and get help.
The garda said he was on his way back to Store Street where the incident was occurring and immediately intervened.
He confirmed to Ms O’Neill that while the attack was taking place, Mr Reilly believed that the Stanley blade brandished by McGuinness was a knife and feared for his life. He said it was Mr Reilly’s belief that “he was going to die that night”.
The court heard the blade was wrapped in tissue at the bottom to create a makeshift handle. Gda Seymour said victim also told gardaí that there was no reason for the attack to occur at that time.
McGuinness of Riverview, Blackcastle Avenue, Flower Hill, Navan, Co Meath, had previously been charged with the attempted murder of Mr Reilly on June 11th, 2020, at Store Street in Dublin 1.
He was further charged that at the same time and date he produced a "homemade shank" in a manner likely to intimidate another person and that he caused serious harm to Mr Reilly, contrary to section 4 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997.
Gda Seymour said he observed Mr Reilly “bleeding profusely” from numerous wounds. He saw McGuinness getting onto a bus and observed him discard the knife and make his way towards the back of the bus in an attempt to “evade capture”.
Mr Reilly sustained multiple slash wounds to his arms, torso and face, including one gash to his face in which his jawbone was exposed. The multiple lacerations all over his arms and his back were of various degrees of depth and length, the garda said.
The court heard the main impact of the assault was the permanent scarring Mr Reilly has been left with. He was offered the opportunity to prepare a Victim Impact Statement but chose not to do so, Gda Seymour confirmed.
McGuinness has 53 previous convictions, including those for violent disorder, a threat to kill or cause serious harm, criminal damage, burglary and possession of drugs.
Under cross-examination, Gda Seymour told Eanna Molloy SC, for McGuinness, that there was nothing on the CCTV to indicate any particular “trigger” for the incident as the footage does not have sound. He confirmed there had been “some trouble” between the two individuals in the past.
Ms O’Neill told the court the director's view is that the offence lies “on the cusp” of the middle and upper levels, with the middle level band attracting a sentence of between four and ten years and the upper level between ten and 15 years.
McGuinness read out a short statement to the court himself, offering his sincere apologies to Martin Reilly for what he said had been “the most regrettable moment of my life”. He said he is no longer the same person he used to be and has done his utmost to turn his life around.
Mr Molloy told the court McGuinness comes from “a very tangled family background” and said the defendant’s mother had been in custody at the time of his birth.
He has experienced a “cornucopia of troubles” over the years with “various layers of addiction”, counsel said, adding his two sisters were with the defendant in court to support him.
McGuinness is an enhanced prisoner, is on a drug-free landing and is working to achieve his educational goals, the lawyer said.
“The previous tailspin into mayhem and chaos, those periods of his life, he believes, are behind him now and he is making every effort to ensure he will not return to them,” said Mr Molloy.
Ms Justice Karen O’Connor directed that a Probation Report and an updated Governor’s Report be prepared and adjourned the matter to October 9th for finalisation.
