8-YR-OLD BOY STABBED MAN IN SHOCKINGLY VICIOUS FEUD

Gardaí horrified over family attack that also saw teenager struck on head with hammer

AN eight-year-old boy stabbed a young man three times in a shocking attack in Dublin over the weekend, the Irish Daily Mail can reveal.

In an ‘unprecedented crime’ in the Inchicore area of south Dublin, two families got involved in a vicious fight which also resulted in a 13-year-old boy being struck

over the head with a hammer.

This teenager was hospitalised with his injuries, as was his 23-year-old brother, who was stabbed in the chest and arm by the eight-year-old boy.

The horrific scenes unfolded after two neighbouring families, both well-

-known to gardaí, got into a serious altercation on Saturday evening which quickly ‘got wildly out of control’.

The ‘serious melee’ began at around 7.30pm, when a number of members of one family ‘barged their way into their neighbours’ home’ and launched a ‘savage attack’.

It is understood that the two families have been involved in a ‘major neighbour dispute’ for a sustained period of time. The exact reason for the flareup at the weekend is unknown to gardaí, but there is a ‘long history’ between the families.

A number of people – including the eight-year-old boy – began to attack their neighbours once they gained entry to the home. Amid the violence, the young child became armed with a knife and stabbed his 23-year-old victim three times. The stab victim’s 13-year-old brother was also targeted, as he was hit on the head with a hammer.

A senior source said: ‘The scene was carnage. The two brothers were rushed to hospital. Both are going to fully recover, but it could have been a lot worse if that young boy had more power behind him as he thrust that knife.’ Gardaí were called to the scene and the two brothers were taken by ambulance to hospital. Three arrests were then made by gardaí – two women and a 13-year-old boy, who was not the teenager struck with the hammer.

All of those arrested were from the family that burst into their neighbours’ home.

All three were later released without charge. Gardaí are preparing a file for the DPP in relation to the two adult women allegedly involved, as well as a separate file for the Juvenile Office in relation to the 13-year-old’s alleged involvement in the attack.

The injured brothers were treated at St James’s Hospital and have since been released.

A source said: ‘Their injuries were serious but in reality could have been a lot worse. Whether this [eight-year-old] boy was actually trying to kill the 23-year-old is unknown. Whether he is capable of attempting to commit murder is a bit of an unknown.’

Senior sources say seasoned gardaí are ‘flabbergasted’ that a child of eight could repeatedly stab another person.

Because of the boy’s age, gardaí have not been in a posi- tion to arrest him. However, it is understood the case has been referred to the relevant child-protection agencies.

Rules on the age of criminal responsibility in Ireland stipulate that children who have not reached the age of 12 cannot be charged with an offence. However, there are some exceptions to this for children aged ten or 11, as they can be charged with murder, manslaughter, rape or aggravated sexual assault.

A senior source said: ‘This boy is eight – it is so young. Gardaí do not want to arrest him. He cannot even understand what he has done, is the general Garda view, so to criminalise him would only make his worse. But there is deep shock that something like this could happen.’

Gardaí in Kilmainham are investigating the attack. The locality where the incident took place in Inchicore is well known for criminality and serious anti-social behaviour.

Gardaí must now closely monitor the two families to ensure the violence does not flare up again. Garda patrols are planned and officers are also due to speak to both sides to try and calm the situation, it is understood.

A source added: ‘The chance of a flare-up between these two families is made more likely because of their close proximity. It is an unbelievably sensitive situation all around. Both of these families also have friends and associates that might be more than willing to get involved. There is, of course, a concern that this is a tinderbox situation. Gardaí are handling it.’

Officers in the south inner city say there has been a spate of violent incidents in recent weeks with a ‘shocking level of depravity’. Last week, gardaí launched an investigation after a man was attacked at the Basin Street flats in Dublin 8. The 39-year-old was set upon with a machete-type blade which was used to cut off a part of his ear.

Prior to this, on August 1, another man had part of his ear cut off in a knife attack less than 2km away at Whitefriar Gardens. These two assaults are not linked.

‘Shocking level of depravity’