A LETTERKENNY man has been sentenced to over six years imprisonment following savage attacks on two men in the town.
Imposing sentences at Letterkenny Circuit Court on Tuesday, Judge John Aylmer described the accused, John McGinley, as a “very dangerous young man”.
McGinley, with an address at Glenwood Park, is currently serving a two and a half year jail sentence following an incident on the Main Street in Letterkenny in April 2022 when he slashed the face and neck of a man using a Stanley knife.
One of his latest victims, Patrick Durning, was attacked while waiting for a taxi on the Main Street in Letterkenny on October 31, 2022.
He had felt a pinch and then saw blood spurting out of his neck and ear. He was rushed to Letterkenny University Hospital where he received emergency treatment.
His assailant, McGinley, was apprehended on the Port Road carrying a glass bottle shortly afterwards and had to be pepper-sprayed before being restrained. A knife was found after Gardaí searched him.
Judge John Aylmer said the accused had pleaded guilty to the offence which involved a flick knife with a serious wound inflicted on the victim.
Mr Durning was very lucky that a main artery hadn’t been severed as a result of the attack.
“You are very fortunate that you are not before another court on a more serious matter,” the Judge told the accused.
The incident had taken place while the accused was out on bail.
Judge Aylmer placed the offence at the upper end of the scale of such offending which merited a sentence of four years imprisonment.
The accused had tendered a plea, albeit a late plea, following the attack on Mr Durning and had identified himself on CCTV footage which had been a valuable admission.
A further offence occurred on June 16, 2023 when a pensioner, James Doheny, was out for an early morning walk with his partner at Glenwood Park.
McGinley had approached him and threw a punch which he managed to evade.
The accused then punched him in the kidneys after which Mr Doheny fell to the ground and was kicked in the head.
McGinley was later found by Gardaí in the Ballymacool area and his clothing was blood-stained.
They had been forced to install CCTV cameras as security and had indicated that they were now afraid to leave their house as a result of the attack.
In mitigation, the accused’s plea of guilty had been valuable as the evidence had been circumstantial.
A third charge against the accused involved possession of a wooden fence post.
Imposing sentences, Judge Aylmer referred to the fact that the accused had completed a Life Beyond Addiction course but had not been engaging with rehabilitation while in prison.
Relating to the attack on Mr Durning, Judge Aylmer sentenced the accused to three and a half years imprisonment with the sentence to run consecutively.
He sentenced the accused to another three years for the attack on Mr Doheny, also to run consecutively.
In relation to the charge of possession of an offensive weapon, McGinley was sentenced to four months in prison, again to run consecutively.
Judge Aylmer said he would suspend the three years prison sentence for a period of three years on condition that McGinley enter a bond in the sum of €100 to keep the peace and be of good behaviour.
The accused was also ordered to abstain from alcohol and unprescribed drugs and to comply with the directions of the Probation Services.
He was also ordered to engage with the local Mental Health services.
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