A Mayo man who stabbed Dublin GAA footballer Jonny Cooper on the same night he hijacked a taxi has been jailed for five years.
Mark Lavelle - who is from Swinford but also has an address at Basin Street, Dublin 8 - was high on crystal meth when he carried out both attacks.
Mr Cooper was stabbed nine times in the face and neck area as he made his way home from a night out in Dublin city centre in the early hours of September 20th last year.
The All-Ireland winning footballer was out of work for two weeks and still has some scars on his face, although he hopes they will clear up soon.
His attacker, 32-year-old Mark Lavelle, was arrested in Maynooth a few hours later on suspicion of stabbing a taxi driver and stealing his car in Palmerstown.
Tests on a knife and jacket taken from him linked him to the attack on Mr Cooper.
Today, lawyers for Mr Lavelle said he suffered from a mental disorder and had a problem with drugs.
The court heard he was high on crystal meth on the night of his crime spree.
Judge Martin Nolan handed down a total sentence of seven years but suspended the final two.
