'Pretty hostile': Man stabbed twice during violent Longford feud altercation

Three feuding co-accused men, including two who were involved in a violent altercation where one man stabbed another outside a Longford service station, have been directed to make charity contributions to avoid prison sentences.

​Willie McGinley (23) with an address at 5 Glack View pleaded guilty at Longford Circuit Court to a reduced charge of affray arising from a violent incident outside Gala Service Station, Dublin Road, Longford on June 11, 2024.

Barrister for the State, Stephen Faulkner BL said the defendant had also been charged with a Section 3 assault, arising out of the same incident and production of an article, namely a knife, and both could be taken into consideration.

The court heard that a more serious charge of violent disorder, which was replaced by affray, had been subject to a nolle prosequi, which means the State was no longer pursuing it.

Mr McGinley's two co-accused Denis Hannifin (23) and Jim Hannifin (19) of Curry, Athlone Road, Longford pleaded guilty to violent disorder and affray and pleas were offered on a full facts basis.

READ NEXT: Longford District Court: Man accused of stealing washing-up products back in legal hot water

The court heard Jim Hannifin suffered a 12-inch laceration to his chest with significant blood loss after being stabbed by Mr McGinley.

Mr Faulkner, who summarised the Garda investigation, said, "The Hannifins made cross complaints against Mr McGinley and Mr McGinley made a cross complaint against the Hannifins."

Gda Doherty said he obtained CCTV footage from the service station which captured the incident and this was played for Judge Kenneth Connolly.

Gda Doherty stated the altercation occurred on the forecourt of the service station and a short time after Willie McGinley and his wife Winnie had entered the 24-hour store.

"A few moments later the third gentleman on the indictment Jim Hannafin then entered the forecourt driving his vehicle and he parked in behind Mr McGinley's jeep.

"Both males remained in their vehicles for a period of time until Willie McGinley left his jeep and walked into the shop."

READ NEXT: Longford people urged to sign petition backing legal ban on sulky road-racing

Mr Faulkner added, "Mr Hannifin then got out of his vehicle and he spoke to his sister Julia Hannifin who was present at the scene with her husband."

The court heard a short time later Willie McGinley and Jim Hannifin walked into the shop and there was 'an exchange' between the pair that continued until they were standing back outside in the forecourt.

Mr Faulkner said both males continued to engage and Jim Hannifin then contacted his brother Denis Hannifin who can be seen arriving, getting out and speaking to his brother and Willie McGinley

The court heard the two Hannafins can be seen walking in front of the McGinley jeep and Jim Hannafin takes out his mobile phone and he points it towards Willie McGinley and he walks backwards followed by the two Hannifin brothers.

Mr Faulkner said gardaí were requested to attend the scene 'because it was expected that something would occur'.

The court heard Mr McGinley knocked a mobile phone out of the hand of Jim Hannafin's hand and Denis Hannifin may have been the first to strike a blow to Mr McGinley.

Mr Faulkner described how a brief but 'physical altercation' took place between Mr McGinley and Jim Hannifin and Gda Doherty said gardaí arrived four-to-five minutes later.

"The court will see from the footage Jim Hannifin walks away from the scene holding his torso and I think Willie McGinley is in his jeep and Denis Hannifin is in his van and they leave the scene," Mr Faulkner explained.

Gda Doherty agreed the details were correct and he said he arrived at the scene with his colleague Gda Maeve Daly after he received a report.

Mr Faulkner said while Gda Doherty was speaking to Mr McGinley a large group of people were shouting towards the defendant and for his own safety he was placed into the back of the patrol car.

"It was pretty hostile there when gardaí, arrived," he added.

Mr Faulkner said JIm Hannifin was then spoken to by officers.

"I think it was observed that Mr Hannifin had a large laceration running across his torso and I think there was quite a significant amount of blood," he added.

The court heard an ambulance was called and medics treated Jim Hannifin for his injuries and he was brought to the Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar.

Mr Faulkner said a search warrant was obtained to search the residence of Jim and Denis Hannifin, but nothing of evidential value was found.

The court heard gardaí then began canvassing independent witnesses to the incident, however, 'none were available or wished to engage in the process'.

Gda Doherty said Willie McGinley's partner Pauline McGinley made a statement to him and she told him what happened during the incident.

A statement was also taken from Mr McGinley who alleged that he was assaulted on the night in question and he was threatened a number of times by Jim and Denis Hannifin before the incident took place.

Gda Doherty said Mr McGinley had a visible cut above his right eye when he was treated at the hospital and he attended Longford Garda Station and he was interviewed after he left the medical facility.

Mr Faulkner put it to Gda Doherty that Mr McGinley provided a version of events during his Garda interviews that was consistent with his garda statement and he alleged he had been 'set upon' and the officer agreed that was correct .

The court heard Jim Hannifin was arrested and interviewed by gardaí on July 20, 2024 with Denis Hannifin was later detained and questioned, but, while they provided similar accounts they made no admissions.

Gda Doherty said Julia Hannifin gave him her phone which contained one minute of footage of the incident at Gala Service Station on the Dublin Road on the night in question, but it just showed Mr McGinley and Jim Hannifin 'speaking to each other'.

Gda Doherty said he obtained CCTV footage from the service station and this was played for Judge Kenneth Connolly and the court capturing the incident.

"The fight happened for four or five seconds and there was no weapon recovered," he added.

Prosecuting barrister, Mr Faulkner informed Judge Kenneth Connolly there was a medical report compiled by Dr Tallat Ejaz on Jim Hannifin.

"To summarise the report an examination was carried out in respect of a report somebody in a shop had stabbed him.

"He sustained two stab wounds, one across the left lower chest and another small stab wound left and near the base of his thumb."

Mr Faulkner said no other injuries were reported.

"[Jim Hannifin] also complained of pain in his chest and hand but there was no head injury or loss of consciousness."

Mr Faulkner said Mr Hannifin's stab injuries to his chest were assessed in the A&E department and he went immediately for surgery in the operating theatre where he was placed under anaesthetic.

"Ultimately, Jim Hannifin reported somebody had stabbed him, he sustained two stab wounds, one on his chest, which measured 31cm and a small stab wound near his thumb measuring 1.5cm."

Mr Faulkner said Jim Hannifin was 'finally discharged from hospital on June 13, 2024.

"It was indicated at that point that the wounds generally take three-to-six months to heal and the healing depends on general health and the type of wounds."

Gda Doherty, who was asked how the injuries had healed, stated Jim Hannifin had made a full recovery.

Asked by Judge Kenneth Connolly, if there was a bit of a mystery over how the injuries were sustained given Mr McGinley had denied carrying a weapon or inflicting injuries, Gda Doherty replied, "It happened so quick judge."

The investigating officer said Willie McGinley, who had two previous convictions, had been on bail since this incident, but he has not come to any Garda attention since then.

Gda Doherty said Denis and Jim Hannifin are currently living in the UK and they have complied with gardaí and neither of them has come to any Garda attention either.

The court heard Denis Hannifin had one previous conviction.

The court heard Denis Hannifin's conviction related to a Circuit Court conviction for violent disorder imposed on June 1, 2021 for an offence that occurred on June 2, 2019 where he received a one year prison sentence, which was suspended for 10 years along with a compensation order of €2,000.

Gda Doherty confirmed that the sentence had now been triggered.

The court heard Jim Hannifin had no previous convictions.

Barrister Stephen Byrne put it to Gda Doherty that Mr McGinley went to the shop on the night as he wanted to make some purchases and the officer agreed he was satisfied that was his purpose for being there.

"In the van was his wife Pauline and also his young son, who would have been two at the time."

Asked by Mr Byrne where the hostility was coming from, Gda Doherty replied, "It was coming from the other party."

Mr Byrne also stated the prosecution were 'not in a position to establish to the relevant standard that [his] client had a knife or used a knife to inflict injury'.

He added, "While you're being asked to take it into consideration I will be asking you to take a pragmatic approach.

"If it were to proceed to a hearing on a violent disorder, which was the alternative, it would have been very much my position, on instructions, that my client didn't have a knife or use a knife.

"We have to ask ourselves what would a jury have made of the case, but in my respectful submission there wouldn't have been the evidence there to sustain that aspect of the violent disorder."

Mr Byrne said Mr McGinley is remorseful for his involvement and he submitted a letter outlining this and he stated his client has an offer of employment in county Fermanagh from June 1 with a car sales company.

"If he is not put in jail he will take up that employment.

"These feuds can become very localised and centred and if people take themselves out of that area there is less chance of them getting involved in dare I say feuding.

"He recognises he should have left the scene and he can assure the court there will be no further contact with the co-accused or anyone connected with them.

Judge Connolly said the quality of the CCTV was excellent but it did not really show what happened but he described the reason for the hostility as 'nonsense'.

"The mere mention of the word feud invokes immediate custodial sentences in this court so I need commitments in that regard.

"What struck me as really poignant in this case, in the probation reports, although there is context given that this occurred against the backdrop of some family feud none of these people knew what it was about.

"They were all too young to know, none of them ever remember what it was about.

"It's utterly ridiculous you would face prison sentences, missing your small children, your families and wives and you can't even remember what it was all about."

Judge Connolly addressed the barristers and said if there was some sort of meaningful charitable contribution that would influence matters greatly'.

Mr Byrne said that his client Mr McGinley said that he had €1,000 in court and he indicated he could collect an additional €4,000 by July in the hope that would meet the court's requirements.

Barrister Nicholas Hall said his client Denis Hannifin could come up with €2,000 immediately and Mr Collins said after his client Jim Hannifin used his 'best endeavours' Jim Hannafin could provide €2,000 right away.

Judge Connolly said despite the fact they were 2024 crimes he was disappointed that this type of behaviour was ongoing in Longford.

"However, I am in no way disheartened by that and I simply intend to redouble my efforts to ensure the courts achieve their objective in this area and elsewhere."

Judge Connolly said Willie McGinley was at the shop on legitimate business but he stated Jim and Denis Hannifin could have left with the latter 'voluntarily attending the scene having been contacted by his sister and knowing that there was something afoot of a disturbance nature'.

Judge Connolly noted Jim Hannifin appeared to be the verbal aggressor, perhaps inside but certainly outside the shop.

"The aggravating factors in this case are that this affray occurred in a very public area where members of the public were exposed to this dangerous and frightening criminality.

"This happened not only in the forecourt of a 24-hour service station but right outside the door where lawful customers are seen coming and going and having a walk through this frightening nonsense."

Judge Connolly stated it was also particularly disturbing that in terms of Mr McGinley, who was supposed to be a role model, his two year old child had to witness this type of behaviour.

Judge Connolly imposed a sentence of two years and six months on Mr McGinley, however, he suspended it for five years on condition that a €2,000 charity contribution is made, with half paid immediately and the remainder by July.

Judge Connolly sentenced Denis Hannifin to two years and three months, which he suspended for five years on condition that he pays €2,000 to charity, while Jim Hannifin was handed a two year sentence, which was suspended for four years on condition that he makes a €2,000 charity contribution.

The defendant's previous one year suspended sentence was also reactivated.

Judge Connolly decided the total of €6,000 in charity contributions was to be split evenly between Longford Tidy Towns and County Longford Hospice Homecare Committee.