BREAKING: Longford man pleads guilty to alleged feud related stabbing at fast food restaurant

Twenty-eight-year-old Patrick Stokes, of Corboy, Edgeworthstown, Co Longford, entered the guilty plea at a sitting of Longford Circuit Criminal Court this afternoon (Thursday).

The Longford man was charged with intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to his alleged victim at Luigis, Main Street, Longford on April 5, 2022.

Mr Stokes, who was accompanied by members of his family, wore blue jeans, a white shirt and grey three quarter length jacket during this afternoon's brief hearing.

He spoke only once to enter a guilty plea when a Section 4 assault charge was put to him.

Shane Geraghty BL, counsel for the State, said directions were still outstanding in relation to two further charges facing the accused.

They include the alleged production of a knife and an alleged section 3 assault on another male at the same location.

The victim, who is also aged in his 20s, sustained serious injuries including several slash wounds to his upper body.

A previous court sitting held at the time of Mr Stokes' arrest last April heard the incident was linked to a violent and ongoing feud in the Longford area.

Michael Bowman SC, defending, said his client was currently on bail in connection to the incident and was a married father of three children.

He said one of those had been diagnosed with autism and requested a probation report be carried out on his client.

This, he added, was due to the likelihood there would be a "custodial element" to the sentence which would be handed down on Mr Stokes.

Mr Bowman also asked for legal aid to be extended to conduct a psychiatric report on Mr Stokes as he was a man who had been under the care of community psychiatric services for the past seven years.

Judge Kenneth Connolly granted both requests and remanded Mr Stokes on continuing bail to a sitting of Longford Circuit Criminal Court for sentencing on May 9.