A Dublin man who caused multiple bite wounds to a taxi driver's face was jailed for seven years yesterday. "This was an attack of an uncontrolled rabid animal," Judge Cyril Kelly told Michael Doyle.
The victim, Mr Edward Forde, had to be given injections and counselling for fears over the possible transmission of disease. Photographs of the injuries to his face were shown to Judge Kelly and Mr Forde also pointed out scars left by the wounds. Judge Kelly noted a large number of taxi-men who followed Doyle to his house may have been carrying batons and other weapons to protect themselves.
Doyle (21), a father of one from Tonduff Close, Greenpark, Greenhills, Tallaght pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to wounding Mr Forde, of Radio Link taxis, with intent to main, disfigure of disable him on December 28th, 1996. He received a concurrent two-year term for wounding Mr Vinny Kearns, vice-president of the National Taxi Drivers' Union, on the same date. He had three previous convictions.
Garda Gerard Dalton told prosecution counsel Mr Patrick Marrinan that a woman hailed Mr Forde's taxi in the Lower Rathmines area. Doyle and another man got in with her and Doyle sat behind the driver's seat.
The woman wanted Mr Forde to take another man who had got sick. He declined and asked them all to get out of the taxi. He turned his head to see if Doyle was getting out. Doyle lunged at him and started to scratch his eyes. He bit him between 10 to 15 times around the face and tried to bite him on the thumb.
Two Leaving Cert students came to Mr Forde's aid and pulled Doyle from the car. Doyle broke free and lunged at Mr Forde again and punched him. Doyle then left and got another taxi to his home. He was followed by a large number of taxi-men and Doyle was locked into the taxi.
Doyle managed to crawl out a window and when Mr Kearns told him to wait for gardai, Doyle lunged at him and gripped his hand in his mouth. Doyle was eventually subdued and was arrested by gardai.
Mr Michael Doyle (snr) said his son had been traumatised by the death of his brother, Darren, in November 1996, and had been no problem up to then. He began to drink a lot but was now attending counselling.
Mr Brendan Grogan SC, defending, said he had been instructed by his client to apologise to both Mr Kearns and Mr Forde. He urged Judge Kelly to consider allowing Doyle to continue counselling in the community. The sum of £1,500 was also paid over by Doyle.