Mayo man who stabbed Jonny Cooper begins stiff sentence behind bars

Drug-crazed attack leads to five year sentence in jail.

The man who attacked Dublin All-Ireland winner Jonny Cooper last year has been given a seven-year sentence for the attack in the city centre. Details of the sickening incident to seriously harm the footballer by Mark Lavelle were outlined in court on Wednesday, with the 32-year-old having been on a drug binge at the time of the incident. The Mayo man, who has more than 60 previous convictions, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm at Dublin's District Court. Cooper was stabbed nine times in the incident on Dorset Street while Lavelle had earlier attacked a taxi driver on Kennelsfort Road and hijacked his car. Lawyers for Lavelle admitted their client has severe mental health difficulties and has experienced issues with drugs and alcohol for most of his adult life. Judge Martin Nolan imposed two three-and-a-half year sentences, which he ordered to run consecutively, with the final two years of the sentence suspended.