Eight-year sentence for man 'at high risk of committing further crime'

Curry, of Leighlin Road, Crumlin, was found guilty by a jury at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in June 2009 of recklessly causing serious harm to O’ Leary at Leighlin Road.

Curry has also pleaded guilty to threatening to burn a neighbour’s car and house on October 26, 2007 and for assaulting Niall Lambert causing him harm on November 1, 2007.

Judge Patrick McCartan said, on reading the Probation Report, that Curry was at ‘high risk of committing further crime’ and sentenced him to eight years for the stabbing incident, two years for the threatening incident and four years for assault causing harm.

All sentences are to run concurrently and the final three years were suspended.

Garda Robert Reilly told, Mr Damian Colgan BL, prosecuting, that when he arrived at the scene of the stabbing Curry was in an aggressive state and drinking from a vodka bottle.

He said Curry had blood on his hands and Mr O’Leary was in a drowsy state lying in bed. There was blood splattered on the bed covers and a kitchen knife lay on the ground beside the bed.

Garda David Conlon said that a woman in Curry’s neighbourhood recognised him as one of two youths who turned up at her door on October 26, 2007 threatening her son to “pay up” a €40 debt he said was owed to him. The woman said she was in fear of her life and could not sleep as a result of what was said.

Curry denied being involved in intimidation on his arrest.

Defence counsel, Mr Barry Hickson SC, said Curry was ‘under the influence of tablets and drink’ when the attack on Mr O’Leary occurred and said he was going through a very rough patch in his life.

Six days after the threatening offence, Curry assaulted former schoolmate Niall Lambert with a broken bottle after a row broke out over a misunderstanding over Curry’s girlfriend.

Garda Orla Madden told Mr Colgan that Curry was drinking from a bottle of Budweiser and smashed the bottle over a pole.

He then struck the left cheek of Lambert, who fell to the ground and received a kick in the head from Curry.

Lambert was hospitalised and was treated for a 9cm laceration to his face. Curry was arrested several hours later at his home.

Mr Hickson said Curry had asked him to apologise to Lambert.

Curry’s aunt, Tracy Curry, who is in a relationship with Mr O’ Leary, spoke in court about her nephew.

Ms Curry described the family as dysfunctional and said Curry was in and out of institutions from the age of 13.

She said Mr Curry’s mother, who is now deceased, had a serious drug problem and was involved in prostitution, which the young man was aware of from a young age. He later found his mother dead from an overdose while they were living in women’s shelter.

At the time of the stabbing incident Curry’s grandmother was dying of cancer and passed away a few days later.

Ms Curry said her nephew had a harrowing life and has received little formal education. His father abandoned the family when Curry was four years old. He began using drugs around the age of 13.

Gda Reilly said Curry has 13 previous convictions including possession of drugs and theft.