Athlone man jailed six more years for seven-stab attack over €20 bet dispute

Mark Conway (39) stabbed a former friend seven times, slicing his liver, while on bail for a golf club assault on his ex-girlfriend. Sentencing was adjourned to October.

Athlone man on bail stabbed friend seven times in €20 row, court hears

An Athlone man who was on bail for a "savage" assault on his former partner stabbed a former friend seven times in a dispute over €20, leaving the victim fighting for his life, breakingnews.ie reports.

Mark Conway (39), a father of two, appeared before Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court, where Judge Keenan Johnson heard that Conway had "sliced" the victim's liver during the attack on March 1st, 2025. The man required emergency surgery and had his gallbladder removed.

The victim recalled being stabbed multiple times from head to waist. In the aftermath, he and his family were subjected to local taunts that Conway was like the fictional horror character Freddy Krueger and was "coming for you".

Conway pleaded guilty to causing serious harm and related charges connected to the knife attack.

Blood trails to both homes

Garda Jennifer Cassells told the court that gardaí arrived at Marine View in Athlone, Co Westmeath to find separate blood trails leading to each man's home. The injured party was discovered bleeding heavily in his house, where he lived with his partner and their children. A garda applied pressure to a wound to his abdomen. There was a significant amount of blood on the couch and in the hallway.

Gardaí established that the victim and Conway had been friends who had been drinking together over the previous few days. They had jointly placed a bet on a horse, and an argument erupted over the money.

At 9.45pm on the night of the attack, Conway arrived at his friend's door banging it with a pole, demanding: "I want my f**king money." The victim came outside and disarmed Conway, then went back indoors. Conway returned, this time armed with a shovel and a flick-knife. When the victim came back out, Conway began stabbing him.

The man lost consciousness and was rushed to hospital, where keyhole surgery saved his life.

CCTV footage from a nearby property was played in court.

"Jekyll and Hyde characteristics"

Judge Johnson had previously described Conway as having "Jekyll and Hyde characteristics — passive when sober, and when he is drunk, he is a menace, violent and a thug."

In January, Conway had been jailed for five years and three months for using a golf club to attack his former girlfriend, Kirsty Fitzpatrick (27), at his home address on February 16th, 2024. Judge Johnson described that attack as "savage", noting that Conway had repeatedly kicked and punched her before striking her with full-force blows from a golf club. Fitzpatrick suffered nerve damage to her left arm and addressed those proceedings, speaking of mental scars she believed would take years to heal. She later fled the country.

Conway's current offence was committed while he was on bail for that assault.

DPP seeks up to 15 years

The Director of Public Prosecutions has urged the court to consider a sentence of between 10 and 15 years for the stabbing. Judge Johnson described the incident as a "horrendous experience" and noted it was fortunate no fatal injury had resulted. He said he wished to consider the DPP's guidance alongside defence submissions, and adjourned sentencing to a date in October.

When interviewed by gardaí, Conway said he was sorry, and he delivered a soft-spoken apology in court. The victims were not present.

Both the victim and his partner gave victim impact statements describing how they feel unsafe and suffer flashbacks. The man said he had "a weird, empty feeling" after his gallbladder was removed. His partner recalled: "There was blood everywhere like you would see in a movie."

26 prior convictions

The court heard that Conway began drinking from the age of 14 following the death of his mother, and later began abusing medication as well. He admitted he had been unable to hold down a job and had been employed for no more than one year in his life. He now carries 26 prior convictions, including for assault, public order offences, criminal damage, burglary, theft, and knife possession.

Defence senior counsel John Shortt told the court that since being remanded to Castlerea Prison in January, custody had been beneficial to his client. Conway is participating in a horticulture course on an enhanced regime, attending the gym and the education unit.

The case was adjourned until October, when Judge Johnson will consider both the DPP's sentencing guidance and the defence submissions before imposing a final sentence.

Source: Irish Independent