Polish Builder Stabbed By Teen

A 19 year-old teenager is being held by garda after two men were brutally attacked with a screwdriver in a chip shop in Dublin.

The vicious attack left one man dead and the other in a critical condition in hospital.

The dead man, a 29 year-old Polish building worker had been on a life support machine after being stabbed in the head by the teenager, which was switched off after a consultation with the man's family. The other, also 29, was brutally stabbed in the throat and remains in critical condition in St James' Hospital.

Detectives arrested a 19 year-old suspect at his home in Emmet Road, Inchicore, and have held him for questioning.

The attack happened at a chip shop on the Benbulben Road, in Drimnagh, on the south side of Dublin after words were exchanged outside between the Polish men and a gang of teenagers. It is thought the suspect left the scene and returned with a screwdriver before brutally attacking the two men and fleeing.

A number of the other teenagers are thought to have been involved in the attack.

A senior officer said last night: "This appears to have arisen out of what was a very minor incident.

"It seems some remarks were exchanged between the victims and a group of teenagers, who had gathered outside the chip shop. It was all fairly harmless but was turned into a major assault by a number of the locals," he added.

After initially stabbing the first victim in the head, the teenager struck the second man in the throat with the screwdriver. The main subjects involved in the attack fled the scene, and gardai were able to question the remaining witnesses, which included some young girls and a nine year-old boy.

The attack took place at 6.50pm on Saturday and gardai last night appealed for any witnesses to contact them at Sundrive Road station, or on the confidential telephone line, 1800 666111.

(DW/JM)