Man jailed for stabbing victim at bus station in Dundalk

A man who was charged in connection with a stabbing at the Bus Eireann bus station in Dundalk, was jailed for 15 months at Dundalk Circuit Court last week, while his sister who is his co-accused had her sentencing adjourned for an updated Probation report.

Sean O’Neill (45) of Beaupark, The Loakers, Dundalk and Aisling Hughes (37) with an address at the Simon Community, Barrack Street, Dundalk each pleaded guilty to assault causing harm arising out of the incident, on October 27th 2018.

Gardaí who were called to the bus station at the Long Walk saw the victim of the assault standing inside the building. His face was covered in blood and he had lacerations to his face.

His clothes were also covered in blood and he told them he had been stabbed a number of times in the buttocks.

No witnesses were willing to make a statement to gardai but CCTV was recovered from the bus station.

The court heard last Friday that the injured party had declined to make a statement of complaint and did not want to be involved in the prosecution and declined to make a victim impact statement.

Aisling Hughes was arrested in February 2019, and exercised her right to silence, apart from saying she hadn’t a clue and didn’t know what gardai were talking about, when they asked her about the incident. She later replied “this is a joke”.

Her brother exercised his right to silence throughout and the court heard he maintains he had no involvement in the incident at all.

However the investigating garda said the CCTV footage was good quality.

Ms Hughes had 42 previous convictions including assault causing harm, and was suffering from an addiction to heroin and street tablets at the time, and her barrister explained there was a suggestion that the victim had stolen her prescription. 

He added that she has been engaging well with the support services available to her.

Mr. O’Neill had 24 previous convictions including aggravated burglary and robbery. His barrister argued most of his client’s offending occurred between 2002 and 2011 due to a serious addiction, against a backdrop of drug taking after the death of his father, but he is now on a methadone treatment programme.

Judge Dara Hayes, who noted Sean O’Neill had been refused permission to change his plea, said the incident must’ve been terrifying for people in the bus station who witnessed it.

He imposed a sentence of two years and three months, with the final 12 months suspended on condition that he remain under the supervision of the Probation Service during that period.  

Judge Hayes adjourned sentencing Ms Hughes to the next sitting of the court on May 29th for an updated Probation report, but warned that she should be under no illusion that “a custodial service at the very least remains a strong possibility”.