Knife-wielding father claimed he took blade from man who tried to cut his ear off

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A dad-of-four who was brandishing a knife during a street row with a neighbour claimed he had taken it off the other man, a court heard.

Dean O’Brien (32) alleged the other man had tried to cut off his ear with the blade.

He was ordered to drop the knife by gardaí but he failed to do so, and an officer disarmed him with his baton.

A second weapon, a hatchet, which gardaí found inside the front door of O’Brien’s house, was being used by his girlfriend for gardening, he claimed.

Judge Dermot Dempsey jailed O’Brien for seven months.

The defendant, of Seatown Road in Swords, was found guilty of possession of a Stanley knife and a hatchet.

Garda Ciaran McGroder told Swords District Court that gardaí were called to Seatown Road where they found O’Brien shouting at another individual.

He had a Stanley blade in his hand and was “brandishing” it, the garda said.

Gda McGroder said he shouted at O’Brien, who failed to acknowledge his presence.

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The garda twice told O’Brien to drop the weapon, but he failed to do so, and Gda McGroder hit him on his upper arm with his baton to disarm him.

Gda McGroder said O’Brien was arrested and taken to Swords garda station.

He had an injury to his hand and he was released from custody to seek medical assistance.

Gda McGroder said an ambulance was called for O’Brien but he did not wait for it.

Garda James Costelloe said O’Brien went back to Seatown Road, and gardaí received calls about a second incident.

Gda Costelloe said he found a hatchet inside the front door of O’Brien’s home.

In his evidence, O’Brien claimed he got into a fight with a neighbour. This man had a knife.

O’Brien alleged his hands were cut as he took the knife off the other man.

Asked why he followed the man up the road whilst holding the knife, O’Brien said the pair were still arguing and he “wasn’t going to give it [the knife] back to him”.

Finding him guilty, Judge Dempsey said O’Brien had no credibility.

Defence lawyer Alan Fitzgerald said dad-of-four O’Brien was homeless and lived with his partner in a hotel in Inchicore.

He asked the judge to be lenient, saying O’Brien previously had a problem with drugs but had been sober for 12 months.