A man was stabbed near his heart in a frenzied, unprovoked attack by two men who had been drinking beer and Red Bull all day, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court has been told.
Garrett Cooley (21), of Finglas, was jailed for three years yesterday by Judge Patrick McCartan, who said drinking Red Bull had been a factor in serious crime. It had become almost "a daily excuser" and it made him wonder if it should be on sale.
Det Sgt Andy O'Rourke told the court the victim had to have open-heart surgery in the Mater Hospital after his heart stopped. Cooley and another culprit, who has since died, suddenly attacked two men standing in a queue at a Finglas chip shop in April 1999. Cooley admitted stabbing them with a screwdriver.
Judge McCartan said Cooley's savage attack had left his victim with major psychological problems. He had to leave his job and could not go out on the street on his own.