Youth on cocaine slashed four people at rave

A 16yearold youth high on cocaine and ecstasy slashed four
people with a carpet knife at a rave in Dublin's Point Depot
and scarred them for life, a court heard yesterday.

Paul Mulcahy (also known as Paul "Dicey" Reilly) later told
gardai he lashed out with the knife because of paranoia brought
on by the drugs. After injuring the fourth person, he knew the
situation was "getting out of hand", he said.

He also suggested that someone had spiked his drink of milk
with another drug before he and his friends gatecrashed the
rave, which featured the band, Faithless, last October 25th.
Mulcahy (now aged 17), of Coburg Place, Dublin 1, pleaded
guilty to wounding a security man and three teenagers in three
incidents.

The security man, in his 30s, and the other victims aged 18 to
19, suffered deep slash wounds to the face, neck or head.
They needed between nine and 27 stitches and would be
scarred for life, Det Garda Sean McAvinchey told Ms Aileen
Donnelly BL, prosecuting.

The sentence hearing was adjourned with Mulcahy held in
custody to February 2nd next to allow time for victim impact
reports to be prepared for Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Det Garda McAvinchey told Judge Kelly that raves had been
held a number of times in the Point and they had been a "recipe
for disaster". One young man had died from a drug overdose
and a young woman broke several limbs while jumping from a
height.

He said gardai may not have been aware of the rave featuring
the Faithless. Between 400 to 500 people, aged 16 to 18,
were at this rave and unfortunately there were drugs. Other
raves were attended by larger crowds. A search at the end of
the night uncovered weapons on the floor, including kitchen
knives.

Det Garda McAvinchey said one of the victims, aged 18,
bumped into a person and was apologising when he was
slashed by the accused. His 19yearold friend was also
slashed when he came to his aid.

The third victim got into an argument with another person and
was slashed from behind. He needed 27 stitches to his neck
and 16 to his face. Judge Kelly said a picture of the man's
injuries "defied imagination".

The security man thought he had been boxed in the back of the
head until he felt blood trickling down his neck. He needed nine
stitches to the wound.

The witness said that on October 30th last, Mulcahy was
discovered hiding in an attic of a house which was being
searched for another reason. In a statement, he said he had
taken cocaine and ecstasy before going to the Point. He also
suggested someone had put something in his drink which made
him feel strange and paranoid. He and his friends had got in
through an exit door.

He claimed the first incident arose when two young men tried
to sell him drugs and he suspected them of being the ones who
had "spiked" his drink. He was handed a Stanley knife and he
lashed out with it, he said.

The next incident arose when he thought the victim was looking
at him and he attacked the security man because he was about
to search one of his friends.

Det Garda McAvinchey said this account did not agree with
the timing given by the victims as the security man was the first
to be attacked.

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