A MAN convicted of assault, despite the refusal of key witnesses in his case to give evidence, has launched an appeal against his conviction.

In 2008, the Sunday Tribune revealed that associates of Darren Duff (38), of Ballymun, Dublin, tried to intimidate at least 10 witnesses.

As a result, several people refused to identify Duff in court. Despite this, he was convicted of assault causing serious harm to Stephen McCann in July 2001.

He was sentenced to 10 years in 2008 for the vicious stabbing, which left his victim with his intestines hanging out of his body.

When McCann declined to give a witness-impact statement, judge Frank O'Donnell said: "I watched him and the other witnesses decline to give evidence in the trial, having initially given very damning statements to gardaí. These young people all gave the same message with fear written all over their face – and I have no doubt as to the source of their fear."

One of the main witnesses against Duff, a well-known criminal with 23 previous convictions, was approached by three men in Monkstown in south Dublin shortly before the trial began.

One of the group was armed and put a gun to the witness's head before handing him a mobile phone. The man at the other end of the line threatened the witness that a bullet from the gun would be used to murder him if he gave evidence at the trial.