AN ONLINE INTERACTION between two combat video game players about covid death figures led to a real-life stabbing, a court has heard.

Former friends William Cuffe and Rory Fagan entered Battlefield V via PlayStation consoles in separate homes in Moate, Westmeath, on December 30, 2020.

But the gamers got into a heated row as they talked on their headsets about pandemic fatality levels, Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court was told.

The argument turned violent when Mr Fagan, who was at a Church Lane apartment, drove to Cuffe’s home about half a mile away in Slieve Rua.

He was stabbed three times during a struggle.

Cuffe, 49, who is on bail, pleaded guilty to assault in connection with the knife attack, and Judge Keenan Johnson adjourned sentencing until November.

Garda Hayley Foley told the court they had been talking on their headsets while playing the video game.

The pair, who had known each other for five years through gaming, discussed the coronavirus but “had a disagreement over figures and how deaths are recorded.”

Cuffe’s friend started shouting, and the accused told him to fuck-off. Cuffe claimed Mr Fagan, a father of two, warned him, “Never tell me to fuck off, or I will go down and drag you out the window.”

However, Cuffe told him to fuck off again and was expecting the victim to arrive at his house.

Five minutes later, Fagan turned up at his door to confront him.

Cuffe claimed he had got the knife from his kitchen as a deterrent because he knew the victim was stronger and angry. He told gardai that “in a blink of an eye”, his gaming friend grabbed him and put him into a headlock.

“I said let me go, or I will stab you,” he admitted. The court heard he thought he “nicked” the man once under the shoulder, and he claimed he did not intend to cause serious harm.

However, the court heard that during the scuffle, Cuffe stabbed Mr Fagan three times, puncturing his right chest, upper abdomen and lower right back.

He bled heavily but made his way to his girlfriend’s home and was taken by ambulance to hospital.

He had internal injuries and needed two operations. The garda said he was okay, but the wound had not fully healed, and he was back working, the garda said.

Questioned by the judge, she added that there was no evidence of alcohol consumption on the night.

Former bricklayer Cuffe had no prior convictions and had not come to further adverse attention.

Pharmaceutical worker Mr Fagan did not come to the hearing but sent a victim impact statement saying he was lucky to make it to the hospital.

He stated the knife punctured his stomach, lacerated his liver, missed a shoulder artery by a millimetre, and he no longer had a belly button.

He said he had anxiety afterwards and very little power in his left hand, changed jobs, and he and his partner moved from Moate.

In his statement, he said he was annoyed at Cuffe’s covid scepticism, only intended to put him into a headlock and could not understand why he had the knife. The garda said the victim also has public order charges before the District Court arising from the incident.

The garda agreed with John Short SC, defending, that both men had been friends who enjoyed playing computer games and Cuffe had helped the victim with home renovations.

The officer also accepted counsel’s suggestion that they were both decent men “caught in a moment of bizarre behaviour, given that we were in the throes of the second lockdown at that stage, and it was impacting on people’s fragility”.

The accused told the court he was wrong and truly sorry. Cuffe, who is on long-term disability as a result of neck and back problems, said he had not been in a fight since school. He maintained that he feared his friend, who, he said, was stronger, angry, and temperamental.

Quizzed about why he didn’t stay inside, he explained that he knew he would have to face the victim in the town.

Further cross-examined by Mr Hayden, he admitted he still opened the door to the victim but insisted the knife was a deterrent.

Cuffe had references provided to the court, which also heard that he did voluntary community work. Judge Johnson asked for a verified medical report on the victim to be furnished, as well as a probation report on Cuffe.