A MAN WHO repeatedly stabbed a woman after she refused to kiss him has been jailed for five years.

Michael Talbot (34) stabbed the woman in her chest, side, arms and legs in her cousin’s apartment with a knife he took from the kitchen. He also kicked the woman in her head and stomach after she fell to the floor.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that he then went on a “spree” of damaging vehicles in an underground car-park and that following his arrest he threatened to rape and kill gardaí. He was on bail at the time of the offences.

Talbot of Virginia Park, Finglas, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm at Parnell Street, Dublin city centre, on 21 May 2020.

He also pleaded guilty to possession of a knife and three counts of criminal damage at Parnell Street on the same date, and to violent behaviour in a garda station at Mountjoy Garda Station, Dublin city centre, also on the same date.

Talbot has 82 previous convictions, including convictions for assault causing harm, violent behaviour in a garda station, criminal damage, possession of knives and public order offences.

Passing sentence today, Judge Martin Nolan said that the maximum sentence he could impose for assault causing harm was five years imprisonment and that “if there were a longer term I could give on that count I would”.

Detective Garda Eoin Tracey told Garret Baker BL, prosecuting, that in the early hours of the morning on the date in question, the victim returned to her cousin’s apartment on Parnell Street with a number of people including the accused man.

Detective Garda Tracey said that Talbot had “some romantic aspirations” regarding the victim’s cousin, but she had no interest in that. Another male arrived during the course of the evening who seemed to be “more popular” and a minor altercation ensued between him and Talbot.

Most people then left the apartment, leaving the victim alone with Talbot. He asked her for a kiss and she said no, after which he became enraged, ran into the kitchen and grabbed a large knife.

Talbot began jabbing at her with the knife, chasing her around the room and stabbing her in her chest, side, arms and legs. He also kicked her in the head and stomach after she fell onto the floor.

The victim passed out and next remembers people tapping her face and an ambulance arriving. She had eight open wounds when she arrived in hospital.

Talbot left the apartment with the knife and went on “something of a spree” damaging vehicles in the building’s underground car-park, the detective said. This included slashing tires and puncturing the airbox of a motorbike.

The accused was arrested on Parnell Street and brought to Mountjoy Garda Station. He threatened to bite the nose of any garda who went near him while being brought into the station and threatened to rape and kill any garda who went near him once inside the station.

Detective Garda Tracey agreed with Karl Monahan BL, defending, that the victim was released from hospital the following day. He agreed with counsel his client has an ongoing problem with drugs.

Monahan said his client was “heavily under the influence” of cocaine and spirits and had no memory of what happened. He said his client was “very apologetic” for what happened.

Counsel said his client was stabbed “accidentally” in the heart during an “act of horseplay” when he was aged 18. He said his client underwent emergency surgery and was “lucky to survive”, but suffers from chronic pain and intrusive flashbacks.

Judge Nolan said Talbot attacked the victim “mercilessly”, stabbing her “a considerable number of times”.

He said it was “pertinent” to note that the accused was intoxicated and “out of control” on the night. He said he took his record of conviction into account.

The judge said he was going to sentence the accused for the assault causing harm and take all other matters into account. He said he thought the discount of the guilty plea was used up post assault by the threats Talbot made to gardaí and the criminal damage.

Judge Nolan sentenced Talbot to five years imprisonment.

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