Jailed for stabbing a man in a row over a woman in Dundalk

A man who claimed he was acting in self defence when he stabbed a man who had punched him in a row over a woman, has been jailed for 15 months at Dundalk Circuit Court.

Nikolajs Sehovcovs (46) with an address at Nicholas Street, Dundalk had pleaded guilty on the date of his trial to a charge of assault causing harm at Woodville Manor, Dundalk on July 20th 2021.

Both men had been drinking at a friend's house, when a woman who had previously dated the victim of the stabbing, had asked the defendant to drop her home.

The injured party, on driving her car to her house, became upset when he realised Mr Sehovcovs was still there, and while the woman asked him to leave, he returned and punched the defendant in the face a number of times.

The defendant took a penknife from his work trousers to stab him.

He told gardai he had been acting in self defence, but admitted he went too far.

The case had been adjourned for a Probation report, which Judge Dara Hayes described as unhelpful.

A psychiatric report diagnosed him with traits of narcissistic personality disorder, and alcohol-related brain injury - which could be halted by abstaining from drinking, the extent of which had been downplayed by the 46-year-old, who had failed to attend Probation appointments.

Judge Hayes imposed a sentence of one year and nine months, with the final six months suspended on the defendant entering a good behaviour bond.