Teenager took part in serious assault in which man’s ear was nearly severed, court hears

By Isabel Hayes

A teenager took part in the serious assault of a man who was stabbed repeatedly with a scissors in his own home and had his ear almost entirely cut off, a court has heard.

Owen Healy (23) was 18 years old when he and a number of other young men attacked the man after he asked them to leave his home which they were drinking in.

The 40-year-old victim was stabbed repeatedly with a scissors, including a 10-15cm laceration to the scalp, was hit repeatedly on the head with a vodka bottle, had his ear almost entirely severed and was told he was going to die during the attack, Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard today.

Healy, with an address at Dromheath Drive, Mulhuddart, Dublin pleaded guilty to one count of endangerment in relation to his role in the incident at Whitefriar Gardens, Dublin 8, on August 1, 2018. He has 41 previous convictions.

Sinead McMullan BL, prosecuting, told the court that another man was previously jailed for seven-and-a-half years for his role in the attack, while another man – the main instigator – is set to be sentenced later this year.

Detective Garda Sarah Keogh told the court that the victim in the case received a call from his adult daughter in the early hours of the night, asking if she could stay over.

He agreed and she then arrived with two other women and some male friends.

The group was drinking and some of the men started shaving the eyebrows of one man who had fallen asleep on the couch.

The victim became concerned and asked the group to leave.

His daughter and the other women left, but the young men stayed behind.

They were initially trying to shave the head of another young man but they turned on the victim when he asked them to stop.

The instigator in the assault started hitting the man over the head with a vodka bottle, before telling the other men to take turns doing it.

He told them: “If you don’t join in hitting him, it’s going to happen to you.”

The man was hit several times by the men, including Healy, before the instigator got a scissors and told the group: “You’re going to see how you cut somebody up”.

He then started to cut off the victim’s ear, as he screamed in pain and the others kept hitting him with the bottle. The men all took turns cutting his ear, leaving it almost entirely severed, the court heard.

The victim was then dragged to his bath, partially stripped and water was turned on.

When he tried to get out of the bath, one of the attackers broke a glass mirror over his head. The instigator then stuffed a mobile phone charger down his throat, telling him: “You’re dead tonight.”

The assault eventually ended when the leader told the others to wash the blood off themselves and they left the flat complex.

The victim was spotted by his neighbours covered in blood and in a semi-conscious state. An ambulance was called and he was taken to hospital.

A medical report before the court stated that the victim received multiple lacerations to his head, face, torso, arms and legs.

He had tendon injuries to a number of his fingers. His ear was almost entirely amputated. A victim impact statement was handed into court, but not read out.

The court heard that when interviewed by gardaí, the victim said that Healy and another young man were “bullied” into attacking him by the instigator of the attack.

The court heard Healy took turns hitting him over the head with the bottle and cutting his ear.

Shortly after the attack, Healy was seen at the homeless hostel teary-eyed and covered in blood.

He and some of his co-accused were staying there at the time. Gardaí were called when one of the workers found part of an ear on the ground outside the hostel.

When interviewed by gardaí, Healy said the leader had put pressure on him to stab the victim, but denied injuring him.

Michael Bowman SC, defending Healy, said his client was just 18 at the time of the assault.

He asked that the case be adjourned to allow for the finalisation of a Probation services report.

Judge Orla Crowe adjourned the matter to July 21, when a plea of mitigation will be heard.