A man who suffered a punctured lung following a knife attack was told his behaviour in court was "disgraceful" after he failed to give evidence against the teenager he had said had stabbed him.
The case against Anthony O'Donovan (18), Moyross, Limerick, collapsed at Limerick Circuit Court on Thursday after the State's key witness failed to corroborate statements made to gardaí in which he identified Mr O'Donovan as his attacker.
The jury was told that Lee Slattery (20) was stabbed three times in March 2004. Mr O'Donovan denied assaulting him and pleaded not guilty to having a knife.
When he was called to give evidence, Mr Slattery said he could not remember who stabbed him and he was "all confused" when he told gardaí it was Mr O'Donovan.
Judge Carroll Moran told the jury that as Mr Slattery was not "swearing up", there was no evidence against Mr O'Donovan and he was directing it to find him not guilty. Judge Moran told Mr Slattery that his behaviour was "disgraceful".