A man talking on his mobile phone as he walked along a Dublin street was punched and kicked in an unprovoked attack because his drug-addicted assailant was suffering from a delusion that someone was following him, Dublin District Court heard yesterday.
Eric McCann (25), of St Ronan's Park, Clondalkin, Dublin, pleaded guilty to assaulting the man on Pearse Street on May 10th.
Garda Phillip Byrne said that he was on duty in Pearse Street station when the victim came in and told him of the assault.
Garda Byrne arrested and searched McCann and found that he had a knife which he claimed he carried because he believed "people were following me".
The court heard that McCann had been on drugs at the time and this, coupled with a medical condition, made him believe that the person he had attacked was following him.
McCann said that, because of his state of mind, "I really did believe the person I assaulted was plotting against me".
His victim had not suffered any permanent damage.
McCann had four previous convictions for offences including stealing cars and theft. He had been in custody for two months, during which time he had received treatment for his drug habit.
Judge Timothy Lucey sentenced him to three months' imprisonment, suspended on condition that he commit no further assault or public order offence for 12 months.