Sunday 1 November 2026Compiled from published reports. Every claim links to its source.

Ireland Crime

Every case followed from the first report to the sentence, or to where the reporting stopped.

Case No. 17314Causing serious harm; aggravated burglary · Co. Louth · 23 Jan 2020

Causing serious harm sentence raised at Court of Appeal in Louth

On 23 January 2020, Dean Dullaghan, then 20, attacked his former best friend, a 17-year-old man, with a machete while the victim was asleep in bed at Castleross, Castletown Road, Dundalk, Louth, fracturing the victim's ulna and causing significant muscle damage to his right arm. Dullaghan was convicted by a jury in June 2022 of causing serious harm and aggravated burglary. He was sentenced at Dundalk Circuit Court to six and a half years with two and a half years suspended, back-dated to 10 July 2021. The State appealed the sentence as unduly lenient, and in May 2024 the Court of Appeal raised the headline sentence to ten years, imposing eight and a half years with two and a half years suspended.

  1. Reportednot reported
  2. Arrestednot reported
  3. Chargednot reported
  4. In courtnot reported
  5. Verdictnot reported
  6. Sentenced15 Feb
    2 reports
reportedhappened, not reportedlatest stagenot yet

Key facts

consolidated from all reports
What happened
  • Dullaghan attacked his former best friend with a machete while the victim was asleep in bed, cutting the victim's knee and striking his forearm.
  • The victim suffered a fractured ulna, significant muscle damage, and permanent impairment of his right hand.
Where
The incident occurred at Castleross, Castletown Road, Dundalk, Louth.
When
The attack took place on 23 January 2020.
Cause
The two men had fallen out some months before the attack.
Weapon
The attacker used a machete.
In court
  • Dullaghan was convicted by a jury in June 2022 of causing serious harm and aggravated burglary.
  • The State appealed the sentence as unduly lenient.
Sentence
  • Dullaghan was sentenced at Dundalk Circuit Court to six and a half years with two and a half years suspended, back-dated to 10 July 2021.
  • The Court of Appeal raised the headline sentence to ten years and imposed eight and a half years with two and a half years suspended.
Other details
  • The victim declined to give evidence at trial and declined to attend the sentencing hearing.
  • The defendant had 28 previous convictions, nine as an adult.
33 statements extracted from the articles
  • whatDullaghan attacked his former best friend with a machete while the victim was asleep in bed (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • whatThe assault victim was 17 at the time of the attack (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • whatThe victim initially thought he was struck by an iron bar (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • whatThe victim jumped out of bed and the then 20-year-old defendant swung the machete aiming at his head (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • whatThe teenager raised his arm to protect himself (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • whatThe victim suffered a fractured ulna and significant muscle damage (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • whatThe victim is not expected to regain functioning of his right hand (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • whatThe defendant had 28 previous convictions, nine as an adult, one for violent disorder (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • whatThe defendant is now abstaining from alcohol (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • whatThe victim was asleep in his bed when he was woken by being hit. (thejournal.ie)
  • whatThe attacker cut the victim's knee and struck his forearm. (thejournal.ie)
  • whereThe incident occurred at Castleross, Castletown Road, Dundalk on 23 January 2020 (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • whereThe offences took place at Castleross, Castletown Road, Dundalk. (thejournal.ie)
  • whenThe attack took place on 23 January 2020. (thejournal.ie)
  • causeThe two men had fallen out some months before the attack. (thejournal.ie)
  • weaponThe attacker used a machete. (thejournal.ie)
  • courtDullaghan was convicted by a jury in June 2022 of causing serious harm and aggravated burglary (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • courtThe victim refused to give evidence at the trial (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • courtNo victim impact statement was made for the sentencing hearing (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • courtThe State appealed the four-year sentence as unduly lenient. (thejournal.ie)
  • courtThe trial judge's headline sentence of eight years was held to be too low. (thejournal.ie)
  • sentenceDullaghan was jailed for four years at Dundalk Circuit Court (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • sentenceJudge Hayes imposed a six-and-a-half-year sentence with the final two-and-a-half years suspended for both offences (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • sentenceThe sentences were back-dated to 10 July 2021 (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • sentenceThe suspended portion requires the defendant to keep the peace for two-and-a-half years after release (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • sentenceThe defendant must place himself under Probation Service supervision for 18 months post-release (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • sentenceThe defendant must engage with education and addiction services (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • sentenceThe Court of Appeal set a headline sentence of 10 years and imposed eight and a half years with two and a half suspended. (thejournal.ie)
  • sentenceDullaghan must keep the peace and be of good behaviour after release and engage with probation services. (thejournal.ie)
  • otherThe probation report recommended cognitive behaviour therapy and residential addiction treatment (dundalkdemocrat.ie)
  • otherThe victim's right hand was permanently impaired and he has significant scarring. (thejournal.ie)
  • otherThe victim declined to give a victim impact statement and declined to attend the trial. (thejournal.ie)
  • otherThe accused had nine previous convictions. (thejournal.ie)

The reporting

newest first
  1. 9 May2024
    Sentencedthejournal.ie, its first report
    Man who hacked sleeping teen with machete to serve extra two years following State objection

    Court of Appeal ruling on the State's undue leniency appeal. The headline sentence was raised from eight to ten years, and the final sentence is eight and a half years with two and a half suspended, so six years in custody.

    convicted, Dean Dullaghan, 25, named, irish (judged from name)Dean Dullaghanvictim, 16
  2. 15 Feb2023
    Sentenceddundalkdemocrat.ie, first report
    Dundalk man jailed for machete attack

    Reports the initial sentencing at Dundalk Circuit Court: six-and-a-half-year sentence with two-and-a-half years suspended, back-dated to 10 July 2021, with conditions including Probation Service supervision for 18 months and engagement with education and addiction services.

    victim, 17, maleconvicted, Dean Dullaghan, 23, male, named, irish (judged from name)Dean Dullaghan