Man was stabbed and had his ear bitten in VIP area of Botanic Inn

Daniel Dundon (26) and his 19-year old brother Thomas took their tops off and attacked three men with glasses and bottles in the VIP area of the Botanic Inn in the early hours of February 1, 2015.

During the attack, one of the three injured men had his ear bitten and was repeatedly stabbed, and kicked in the head whilst he lay on the ground.

The brothers, both from Slievegallion Drive in the Andersonstown area of the city, appeared at Belfast Crown Court on charges arising from the incident and were both remanded in custody ahead of sentencing next week.

Prior to him remanding the pair into custody, Judge Gordon Kerr QC was informed that a group of people were enjoying a drink in the VIP area when one of them was approached by an “aggressive” Daniel Dundon.

The reveller and others in his party tried to get Daniel Dundon to back off, and at this stage Thomas approached the group. The brothers then launched an assault, and during the incident three men in the party were attacked and injured.

At the start of the incident, door staff were able to pull the brothers away from the other group - however they took their tops off and resumed the assault, during which bottles and glasses were used.

At one point during the attack, one of the injured parties had his ear bitten and was stabbed several times.

Crown prosecutor David McClean said the three men who were attacked sustained various injuries. The man who has his ear bitten - and whom sustained the most severe injuries - required stables to a number of lacerations and puncture wounds.

Daniel and Thomas Dundon were arrested and initially refused to answer police questions. However, when they were each shown CCTV footage of the incident, Thomas made the case that he thought his brother was going to be attacked and he was just defending him, while Daniel claimed he had been hit with a bottle by one of the party - but this claim was not accepted by the Crown.

The brothers later admitted two counts of unlawful and malicious wounding, whilst Thomas also admitted assaulting a third man.

Defence barrister Tom McCreanor, representing Thomas Dundon, said he accepted the incident was “nasty and aggressive”.

Pointing out his client was the younger of the brothers, Mr Mcreanor said that on the evening in question Thomas had “consumed a very considerable amount of alcohol” which he mixed with medication he was on for anxiety and depression, and which he feels had an impact on his behaviour.

The barrister also said his client has accepted responsibility for his behaviour, adding: “Thankfully the injuries sustained were not as bad as they could have been.”

Daniel Dundon’s barrister Luke Curran said the situation was borne from a sense of one brother protecting the other, and that both alcohol and bravado played a role.

Mr Curran made the case that the father of one played a lesser role during the attack, but was nonetheless a “willing participant in a violent act.”

The barrister also told the court Thomas Dundon suffered from anxiety and depression, was on Disability Living Allowance and was also “shocked” by his actions last February.

The Dundon brothers will be sentenced next Thursday.