A “MIRACLE” SAVED the life of a father who was repeatedly stabbed in broad daylight after a feud escalated in Mullingar, Co Westmeath, a court has heard.

An ongoing dispute has led to 15 incidents within the past five weeks, including shots fired at a house, the discovery of a firearm and cartridges, criminal damage, death threats, assaults and a stabbing,

Gardaí arrested five men who appeared before Patricia Cronin at a special late sitting of Mullingar District Court on Wednesday night.

The court, which sat for almost three hours to rule on bail applications, rose shortly before midnight.

Judge Cronin heard the unrest in the town allegedly started on 4 July over a debt worth €50.

Bar worker Michael Nevin Jr, 39, of Grange Heights, Mullingar, was charged with assault causing harm to Anthony Dinnegan, who is in his 20s, threatening to kill or cause him serious harm, production of a black handled kitchen knife as a weapon during a dispute, on 2 August at Austin Friar Street in the town.

The court heard Anthony Dinnegan suffered knife wounds to his liver, bowel, and lung.

Nevin Jr was also charged with travelling in a stolen Mercedes car on 7 August 2024, at Cloncollig Roundabout, Tullamore, Co. Offaly, without a licence or insurance.

The father of four was also accused of threatening to kill or cause serious harm to Lucy Dinnegan and her son, 20-year-old Oliver, at their home in Greenpark, Ballymahon Road, Mullingar, on 4 July.

His father, Michael Nevin Sr, 61, from Dalton Park, Mullingar, was accused of being unlawfully carried in the same car in Tullamore on 7 August and making threats to kill Oliver Dinnegan and his 19-year-old brother Johnnie on 4 July.

The court heard they could face additional charges and they were refused bail.

Detective Garda Adrian Reilly played CCTV footage and told the court the stabbing happened “in broad daylight,” shortly after 5pm when Dinnegan left his home on Austin Friar Street with his wife.

It was alleged a threat had been made earlier “to kill you and burn you out”. Two cars drove in convoy to the area, and the couple ran, but a group gave chase.

His partner and their child fled into a restaurant while Dinnegan suffered life-threatening injuries: a laceration to his liver, bowel and lungs.

Nevin Jr allegedly told him, “I have you now, you’re getting it now, you’re dead”, and that during the stabbing, he said, “You’re going to die”.

He lost consciousness and was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery.

Judge Cronin heard that it was “a miracle he did not die”; he was in a critical condition, and gardai raised concerns in court about the escalation of the feud and feared there could be other serious incidents or loss of life.

Gardaí also believed that up to 15 people took part in the attack on Dinnegan, who also suffered a gash to his leg after being attacked with a hatchet.

A shotgun and cartridge were recovered near the home of some of the “opposing faction”, the court heard.

The detective told defence solicitor Roisin Giles that bail terms would not alleviate his concerns.

Michael Nevin Jr abruptly addressed the court to claim that a statement had not been taken from him so far during the Garda investigation.

His father denied the allegations against him and agreed with his solicitor, Roisin Giles, that he would obey a range of bail conditions if released.

Nevin Sr told gardaí the allegations were “lies, it’s all lies”.

In court, he claimed his family had also been victims of incidents, including an attempt to kill one of his close relatives, and that shots had been fired at his house.

He pleaded for bail and said he would pay for a lie detector test.

The court also heard that gardai believed he was the leader of the Nevin faction and had the potential to instigate further incidents.

They also believed the stolen car was also used in the feud.

Lucy Dinnegan told the contested bail hearing that she had received a phone call with death threats, which she took seriously.

She alleged that Michael Nevin Jr made a threat, and that Nevin Sr also told her during the call that he would slice up or cut the throats of her adult sons.

Another son, trainee landscaper John Nevin, 24, and James Ward, 26, who have addresses in Dalton Park and Emmett Court in Mullingar, were charged with being carried in the stolen Mercedes.

John Nevin was remanded in custody with consent to €1,250 bail. He will appear again with his brother and father next week.

Ward was also charged with causing criminal damage to a woman’s Toyota Land Cruiser and a campervan on 11 July in Ballinalack, Co. Westmeath.

Bradley McEntee, 23, who also lives in Dalton Park, was also accused of attacking and injuring Anthony Dinnegan at Austin Friar Street on 2 August and possessing a knife as a weapon at Raithin in Mullingar on 7 August.

They must obey curfews, not associate with members of the Nevin or another named family or be in groups of more than three people in public, and be contactable by phone.

Ward and McEntee, who did not face bail objections, were ordered to appear again in October.

Judge Cronin noted that gardai must obtain directions from the Director of Public Prosecutions. Legal aid was granted.