Psychiatric nurse jailed for stabbing teen twice

A PSYCHIATRIC nurse who twice stabbed a teenager following a birthday party at a neighbouring house has been jailed.

Brian Quinn, 51, was convicted at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to Lee Harte at his former residence on October 9, 2011.

The court heard that at 4am on the date in question Mr Harte and his cousin left a birthday party held next door to Quinn’s former residence on Deer Park Avenue, Kiltipper, Dublin.

Sergeant Sinéad McCormack said Quinn’s wife was smoking in her front garden and started shouting at the two men that she was sick of them having parties. Quinn emerged from his house and an altercation began in which several other men from the party got involved.

Quinn and the men exchanged punches while Mr Harte, 18 at the time, tried to be a ‘peacekeeper’.

Mr Harte saw Quinn holding a knife and facing towards his cousin. He pushed Quinn in the back and told him to leave his cousin alone.

Quinn, now of Hamlet Lane, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin, stabbed Mr Harte in the left leg and the stomach.

An ambulance brought him to hospital where he underwent surgery.

In a victim-impact statement, Mr Harte said: ‘I did not think I would survive.’ He added that he had to undergo further operations due to internal bleeding from his liver and that he had been studying at the time to become a veterinary assistant – with his injuries preventing him from pursuing this dream.

Judge Patrick Quinn sentenced Quinn to five and a half years imprisonment with the final two years suspended on strict conditions.

Judge Quinn also sentenced him to two years for using an offensive weapon which will run concurrent to the other sentence. He ordered that Quinn receive credit for the two years and one month period of imprisonment he has already served on these charges after a previous conviction which was overturned.