DUBLIN, Ireland: A man who knifed an English tourist in Dublin's Temple Bar has been sentenced to three years and nine months in prison.

Jordan Carroll, 26, was one of three people involved in an attack on a tourist who had come to Dublin to celebrate a friend's birthday. The other two attackers were not caught.

The Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that the victim was standing outside a Centra store when an argument started with Carroll's group. The group then punched the victim, and Carroll stabbed him.

Carroll, from Lealand Meadows in Clondalkin, admitted having a steak knife, assault causing harm, and violent disorder at Temple Bar Square on September 20, 2025. He has 123 previous convictions, including for assault and having knives.

Garda Anthony Cunningham told prosecutor John Moher that three men approached the tourists and got into an argument. The men began punching the victim, and Carroll took out a knife and made stabbing movements toward him.

During the attack, the victim dropped his phone while trying to protect himself, and one of the other men took it.

A garda witnessed the incident, and Carroll was arrested nearby while the other two men fled. A knife with blood on it was found, and the victim was taken for medical treatment.

Carroll told the gardaí that he was defending himself, saying he had been hit and hit back, and claimed he did not stab anyone. CCTV footage of the incident was shown in court.

A victim impact statement said the injured man suffered a stab wound that needed stitches, along with ongoing physical and mental effects. He also reported losing money due to damaged clothes and his phone, and said he now has more anxiety, reduced fitness, and problems in his social and family life.

Carroll's defense lawyer said he had a very difficult childhood, with violence and exposure to crime from a young age. The lawyer said Carroll accepts that what he did was wrong and feels ashamed, embarrassed, and deeply sorry for his actions. It was also said that he was drunk at the time.

Judge Martin Nolan said it was a serious crime and warned about the dangers of using knives in attacks, noting that people can sometimes die in such situations. He added that in this case, no one died, but using a knife like this can often lead to serious harm.

The judge first set a sentence of six years in prison, but reduced it to three years and nine months because of mitigating factors.