A media lecturer who stabbed a love rival in the face and neck with a broken wine glass has paid her victim €7,000 and avoided a jail sentence.
Melanie Adams (42), from Idrone Close, Templeogue, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court last November to assaulting Ms Caroline O'Hanrahan (40) causing her harm on February 7th, 2002. She had no previous convictions.
Judge Desmond Hogan had imposed a two-year sentence on Adams but indicated that a 240-hour community service sanction would be imposed in lieu of it if she was found suitable.
He noted that Adams, who teaches Film and Television at the Ballyfermot College of Higher Education, was remorseful for her action and had shown this in a practical manner by paying €7,000 in compensation to her victim. She had borrowed the money from her parents, the court heard.
Judge Hogan had previously adjourned her sentence on November 13th last to allow her to raise the compensation money after he described her first offer of €1,000 as an insult to her victim.
English-born Adams attacked Ms O'Hanrahan, an administrator for the Architectural Association of Ireland, in the ladies toilets of the Irish Film Centre when the two women went to discuss their romantic interest.
Adams had recently broken up with a man that Ms O'Hanrahan was meeting that night at the launch of a book about Irish film directors. Adams became upset at the function and the victim brought her in to the toilets to talk to her.
A waitress cleaning the toilets noticed them having a heated discussion and then Adams broke her wine glass off the hand basin and began stabbing Ms O'Hanrahan in the neck and face with it. She also punched her a number of times. The waitress who witnessed the assault said both women appeared to be very drunk at the time of the incident.
Ms O'Hanrahan received stitches to scars on her neck, her chin and her temple. The scars on her neck and face were permanent and she also experienced a numbness around her face for 12 months following the incident.