This article contains references to a graphic assault on a woman that some readers may find distressing. Reader discretion is advised.
By Clare Henry
A 22-year-old man who stabbed a woman multiple times in the vagina in a “misogynistic” and “depraved attack” has been jailed for nine years at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was aged 21 at the time of the offence. He pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm at an apartment in the city on March 6, 2024. He has 15 previous convictions and was on bail at the time of this offence.
Sentencing the man to 10 years’ imprisonment with the final year suspended, Judge Pauline Codd Judge said it was “difficult to envisage a more depraved attack.” She backdated the sentence for time spent in custody.
Garda Colm Carroll told Oisin Clarke BL, prosecuting, that he was on duty with a colleague on the night in question. At approximately 8pm that evening, they heard a commotion coming from an apartment at the above address.
They then saw a group of males fleeing via the external staircase. Gda Carroll stopped three males, with this defendant being one of the three. His colleague stopped a fourth male.
The court heard that a woman was seen lying on a second-floor balcony. She was seen to be bleeding heavily from her vaginal area. An ambulance was called and the woman was taken to St. James’ Hospital. A bloody knife was also found at the scene.
The man was immediately arrested at the scene. His clothes were seized, he was photographed, had his fingerprints taken, and was interviewed and later released.
The following day, gardai went to the hospital and took a statement from the injured party. She said that she was in the flat when four people came running upstairs towards her, and one had a white-handled knife. She told gardai that she ended up on the ground and was stabbed four times in the groin area by one of the four males.
Two of the co-accused saw the gardai approaching the scene and disposed of two other knives by placing them in the letter box of an apartment. A fourth knife was recovered in an abandoned apartment on the block. All four knives were analysed.
The court heard that the accused’s phone was seized and a voice note from Snapchat was recovered in which he could be heard saying “I am on my way back up with a blade. He’s getting butchered. They’re all getting it. She (the injured party) is getting butchered on them stairs as well. Little rats.”
The gardai obtained CCTV footage, which was played to the court. Gardai used this CCTV to track the movement of the four men to a separate apartment block a short distance away. The men can be seen clearly in the footage.
When they arrived armed with knives at the injured party’s complex, they had their faces covered and were wearing gloves. Audio from the CCTV footage was also played to the court where the injured party could be heard screaming.
Two medical reports were handed to the court, one from Dr Thomas Moore, who treated the injured party in the emergency department. He noted that she was screaming in pain and had multiple lacerations. The injured party was given intravenous pain relief and antibiotics and was then transferred to the care of Hugh O’Connor, Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist.
The injured party was taken to the theatre. Mr O’Connor noted a 10cm in length by 2cm in depth wound. There were three more wounds ranging in length from 2cm to 4 cm, with one of them almost to the bone. He also noted the presence of a hematoma, which was swollen to the size of a lemon. Mr O’Connor said the injured party had lost about 25 per cent of her overall blood count. He said that in the future he believes that it will be difficult for the injured party to give birth vaginally.
Mr Clarke told the court that the Director of Public Prosecutions have placed this offence at the higher end of the scale and within the sentencing brackets of 10 to 15 years. The injured party in this case did not wish to make a victim impact statement, the court was told.
Gda Carroll agreed with Keith Spencer BL, defending, that his client entered a timely guilty plea, which was valuable and was significantly important to the injured party. The garda agreed with counsel that the defendant was brough up in difficult circumstances.
Mr Spencer said his client was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and ADHD and had low-level intellectual capability.
Counsel said his client wished for him to offer an unreserved apology to the injured party and said his client was not acting in his right mind at the time. He said the defendant has been in custody since his second arrest and is undertaking a barber course.
In sentencing the judge noted the man refused to give urinalysis, but his counsel Mr Spencer said his client was working on his mental health.
The judge noted a “most chilling voice note” saying “the comment speaks for itself.”
Judge Codd also noted the knife on his person shows intent “he was going to do what he was going to do”. She also noted he was on bail at the time of the offence.
The judge said the nature of the attack was misogynistic and that the victim will have difficulty in a natural childbirth and pain in sexual intercourse according to medical reports.
Judge Codd said it was “difficult to imagine a more depraved attack”.