Two men have been jailed for attacking another man with a meat cleaver after breaking into his Dublin home.
Alan Wilson, 33, of New Street Gardens was sentenced to seven years in prison while David Crowley, 36, of New Bride Street was sentenced to eight years
Both men had pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to trespass while committing assault causing harm at Dromheath Drive in Blanchardstown on 3 June, 2009.
Crowley also denied a second charge of unlawfully possessing a firearm on the same occasion.
The victim, David O'Brien, did not give evidence as he had never made a statement to gardaí.
His former partner Lisa Murray and her father Noel were treated as hostile witnesses after both denied sworn statements in which they had identified the two men as Mr O'Brien's attackers.
Ms Murray told the court that she had drunk half a bottle of vodka on the night and didn't remember having made a statement to gardaí.
She also said she had never seen Alan Wilson before she saw him in court at the trial.
Prosecuting counsel Fiona McGowan BL said Ms Murray's evidence was "materially inconsistent" with her original garda statement, which was then read out to the jury following legal argument.
Ms Murray's garda statement said she had been in her home with her two children, aged two and six, when she saw two people going into the kitchen and heard a scuffle.
She said she saw Crowley hitting her then boyfriend with the handle of a meat cleaver that was 6 or 8 inches long.
Det Gda Kieran Mullally said Ms Murray had voluntarily given him a statement and that although she had been angry, she had been composed and able to articulate herself and explain clearly what she had witnessed.
Ms Murray's father, Noel Murray, also said he had "no memory" of making a statement to gardaí after the alleged incident.
He said he had not slept for two nights and that he had taken a sleeping pill and drunk several cans of cider on the night in question.
Det Gda Tom Cooney told the court that when Mr Murray made his statement, he did not present as someone under the influence of drink or prescribed medication.
Mr Murray's statement, which was read out in court after legal argument, said that he had heard "two loud bangs" and that he had seen Crowley leaving the scene carrying a sawn-off shotgun.
Mr Murray said when he went into his daughter's house after the incident he saw "blood all over the floor" and blood on David O'Brien's head and hand.
Wilson, who was arrested with Crowley shortly after the incident, had been wearing a bullet-proof vest.
Both men were arrested when gardaí stopped a silver Wexford-registered Toyota Corolla driving along the Old Navan Road from the Dromheath Estate area.
The trial also heard that firearms residue was found on both Crowley's and Wilson's clothing and that 25 gun pellets had been found at the scene of the incident.
