Father-of-two (24) jailed for 'savage' bottle attack over headphones
Tom Tuite
A father of two has been jailed for a "savage attack" where he jabbed a broken glass bottle into a man's neck after wrongly accusing him of taking headphones.
Noel Rattigan, 24, of Ardbrae Park, Athlone, Co Westmeath, pleaded guilty at Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm to a man who was left "in a pool of blood" at Connaught Street, in Athlone, shortly after midnight on July 1st, 2023.
Judge Keenan Johnson had said it was "by the grace of God the victim was not killed". A probation officer reported that Rattigan was at high risk of re-offending unless he addresses his mental health problems.
He imposed a three-year, nine-month sentence, suspending the final six months with conditions.
Earlier, Garda Jennifer Cassells gave evidence that Rattigan and the man had been in the same pub that night, but they did not know or interact with one another.
Around 12.15 am, as the man in his 40s was about to leave, he went over to the bar where he had sat earlier to retrieve his headphones, then left.
He got a few yards when he heard "They are my headphones" from Rattigan, who had followed him.
The man told the accused he was wrong, as confirmed by the video evidence, and Rattigan returned to the pub, where he picked up a green bottle and put it in his pocket.
CCTV footage revealed how Rattigan ran after the man, their initial exchange on the street, returning to the pub to fetch a bottle and the assault outside seconds later.
Garda Cassells detailed how Rattigan "smashed a bottle off a wall and stuck it into the left side of his neck".
The witness described how there was "blood everywhere", and the court heard the man sustained further blows and kicks while on the ground.
In addition to cuts and a black eye, he has been permanently scarred from his ear to his neck.
During his interview, the accused made denials to investigating gardaí. Later, Rattigan's legal team had tendered an apology on his behalf.
The court heard that when he went home, he had facial injuries and told his mother that he had been attacked.
Rattigan, who has a history of alcohol and drug abuse from his mid-teens, drank five or six pints on top of medication for psychotic episodes. His mother said the accused had difficulties mixing with others and used alcohol to gain confidence to socialise before he developed a drug problem.
She said the accused had needed help for a long time and admitted she did not know he had stabbed the victim until she saw the evidence in court.
In his impact statement, the injured party described being left on the street in a pool of blood, and revealed he suffers flashbacks, feels unsafe walking the streets, and his confidence had been shattered.
John Hayden SC, defending, informed the court that a forensic psychological report on Rattigan found him to be at high risk of violence in the future.
Judge Johnson had said that the accused showed limited remorse for the savage attack but was more aggrieved that he, too, had been injured when the victim had to defend himself.
He highlighted that this type of case was why the maximum penalty for this category of assault was raised from five to 10 years.
However, because of the date of the attack, Rattigan's case had to be dealt with under the previous sentencing regime.
The jail term was backdated to April 2nd, 2025, when Rattigan was remanded in custody.
Following release, Rattigan must keep the peace for five years, attend counselling and comply with probation supervision, engage with a training programme and his GP about his mental health, and not use alcohol or illegal drugs.
