A beautician attacked a woman with a knife in Dundalk

A beautician who attacked a woman with a knife over her ex-partner has been given a three and a half year suspended sentence at Dundalk Circuit Court.

Patricia McGuigan (31) with an address at Elmore Lawns, Omeath was convicted by a jury of assault causing harm and production of a knife at Greenacres Shopping Centre, Dundalk on January 9th 2021.

The victim, who was in an on/off relationship with the defendant's ex-partner, had given a friend a lift into Dundalk, to the back of Centra, but before she drove off, the defendant appeared and began swinging at her with a knife, seven or eight times and tried to pull the key from the ignition.

The woman managed to stop her and fled the scene and required 10 staples to her scalp when she attended Daisy Hill hospital in Newry.

The court heard the defendant had no previous convictions and the victim was prepared to accept the €10,000 being offered.

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The mother of three was assessed as being at low risk of reoffending, has not come to further adverse attention and began an anger management course last autumn.

Judge Dara Hayes imposed three and a half years for assault causing harm and two years concurrent for the knife offence, but given her clean record, the substantial sum that was accepted by the victim, and being the sole carer for children, he would suspend the sentence in its entirety.

He added: “I’m giving you a significant opportunity and there won’t be a second one.”

The judge also directed Ms. McGuigan has no direct or indirect contact with the injured party or members of her family.