Two teenagers have been remanded in custody after pleading guilty to a violent incident involving a Stanley knife and axe in Longford last year.
Three adult men, who are all related, were given suspended jail terms for their role in the same incident at a filling station in June 2019.
Longford Circuit Court heard that 19-year-old Ronan Stokes required 12 sutures to his back after the violent incident.
He was injured after he was slashed from his lower back to his shoulder by a Stanley knife wielded by a teenager.
The court heard a teenage co-accused also wielded an axe in the course of the incident, which lasted just over a minute, but the axe did not make contact with the victim.
The altercation began when Mr Stokes and 41-year-old Thomas Hannifin, of Dublin Road, Longford, were involved in a verbal row, inside the filling station itself.
It then became physical when the injured party started to punch the older man and 39-year-old Denis Hannifin, of Curry, Athlone Road, and 33-year-old Willie Hannifin of Knocknahaw, Longford, rushed to their relatives' aid with the two teenagers also adding to the fracas on the petrol station forecourt.
The court heard that Mr. Stokes was seriously injured and suffers nightmares following the incident.
At the sentence hearing for all five accused, Judge Keenan Johnson claimed that knife crime has no place in a civilised society and that the two youngsters were most culpable.
He also praised a letter of reference written by TD Joe Flaherty of behalf of the three Hannifins and said it was motivated by the best of interests and the judge appreciated his forthrightness and honesty on behalf of the accused.
Willie and Thomas Hannifin, who both pleaded guilty to violent disorder, were sentenced to three years in jail each, which was suspended in each case for ten years.
Denis Hannifin was sentenced to one year in jail which was also suspended for ten years, for pleading guilty to possession of offensive weapons.
All three men were also ordered to make donations to the local St Vincent De Paul charity.
The two juveniles were remanded in custody to Oberstown detention centre to appear again before the court in July 6th for finalisation of sentence on foot of a probation report.]
