Man who slashed faces of four people given five-year sentence
A 20-year-old who slashed the faces of four people in separate unprovoked attacks within a 15-minute period has been sentenced to five years at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Glen Hogan left all his victims with permanent and disfiguring facial scars after drinking 16 bottles of cider and a large quantity of vodka. Three of his victims were foreign nationals but the court heard this was not a motivating factor.
Hogan, of Thomond Road, Ballyfermot pleaded guilty to four counts of assault causing harm on April 19, 2008 in Dublin city centre.
Garda Jonathon Petrie told prosecuting counsel, Mr Paul Carroll BL, that Hogan was at a birthday party in a GAA club and afterwards went to the Q Bar on Burgh Quay. He was searched in the club by a bouncer and a six-inch hunting knife was taken from him.
After repeated pleas he was given his knife back before been thrown out of the club. When he and a friend went out on the street he "squared up" to Mr Bashir Guirina, an 19-year-old Algerian national.
He cut Mr Guirina's face before fleeing with his friend. The victim described been suddenly cut with a blade "for no reason at all," He was taken to hospital with a 5cm-deep wound and was given 12 stitches.
Minutes later Hogan was on Fleet Street in Temple Bar. Mr Sebastian Treche, a French national, was there with his girlfriend and saw him harassing another group of people.
Hogan then came towards Mr Treche and cut his face. They exchanged words before the victim fled with his girlfriend. He was treated for a cut to his chin requiring eight stitches.
Hogan then approached Mr Keith Mason, a 30-year-old Irishman, who was on the way home from a friend's birthday party. He cursed and shouted at Mr Mason before slicing his face. He fled leaving the victim holding his face and bleeding heavily.
Mr Mason received 11 stitches and is left with a permanent two-inch scar. He also described how his confidence was ruined by the attack and he has trouble finding work because of his scar.
Hogan went 50m up the road to East Essex Street where he encountered Mr Enriqe Tascon, a 27-year-old French national.
Hogan pushed into a friend of the victim before approaching him and slashing his face without saying anything. He then walked away. Mr Tascon also required 11 stitches and said he suffered nightmares following the attack.
Gardai identified Hogan, who has 31 previous convictions, by viewing CCTV footage from the area. He was arrested five days later and admitted to gardaí he "cut up and sliced a few people".
He said he was drunk and thought someone may have spiked his drink. He claimed he had the knife because he was "fighting a lot of people" and had heard one of them was in the city centre.
When he was shown the CCTV footage of the attacks he said he felt "bad" and was going to get help to stop drinking alcohol.
Defence counsel, Mr Michael Bowman BL, said Hogan had suffered with psychiatric issues from a young age and had been sporadically employed since leaving school early. He said his mother suffered from multiple sclerosis and his father was unemployed.
Judge Martin Nolan described the assaults as "horrendous" and said it was lucky the victims did not have more serious long-term injuries.
He imposed sentences of three and two years to run consecutively with the other charges taken into account. He noted Hogan's early guilty plea and young age and suspended the final 18 months on strict conditions.
