Scarred for life by barber's cut throat razor in Limerick town

A BARBER, who attacked a teenage boy with a cut throat razor, caused such a deep laceration to the victim’s cheek that it was  “flapping open”.

The injured party has  a “significant raised scar” following the incident in Newcastle West.  The victim is a brother of a male who left the barber shop without paying on June 28, 2022, Limerick Circuit Criminal Court heard.

Tarloknath Kumar, aged 46, of Hanratty’s Hotel, Glentworth Street, Limerick city pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to a then 17-year-old in The Square, Newcastle West.

Prosecuting barrister Lily Buckley, instructed by State solicitor Brendan Gill, outlined the evidence with the assistance of Detective Garda Jerry O’Sullivan.

In delivering her sentence, Judge Sinead McMullan said there were three others prosecuted for affray in the district court in relation to the incident.

The judge said Mr Kumar was working in a barber shop where the victim’s brother got a haircut.

“It seems that there was no payment. The owner of the shop, not the accused man, pursued him (victim’s brother). The accused ran out in a misguided sense of misplaced loyalty to help  the proprietor. The accused man had a cut throat razor in his right hand. It was made clear to me that it  was a tool of his trade,” said Judge McMullan.

The judge referred to an eyewitness who said the victim arrived in a car to come to the aid of his brother -  who had got the haircut and left the barber’s without paying.

“The witness said Mr Kumar was holding the razor by his side but not in a threatening manner. The injured party saw the razor in the hand of the accused man and started questioning him on it.

 “Mr Kumar didn't make any gesture. He was just standing there. The witness said the injured party started charging at the accused man who was actually backing off at that stage. The injured party then threw two punches at him at least,” said Judge McMullan.

The witness’ view was then blocked. The next thing they saw was the victim with “such a deep cut to his cheek that it was actually flapping open”.

Judge McMullan referred to a medical report on the seven centimetres long laceration to the cheek which stated it was likely to cause “severe permanent disfigurement”.

The judge said from looking at photos it is a “serious, scarring injury” and “amounts to serious disfigurement”.

READ MORE: Barrister in Limerick juvenile rape case says complainant got in to car consensually and regretted what occurred

Judge McMullan said Mr Kumar is originally from India but went to the UK when he was a young child. He has been working as a barber in Ireland for some time and suffers from mental health difficulties, the court heard. Mr Kumar has no previous convictions.

The judge said Mr Kumar’s barrister - Anthony Sammon SC -  asked her to view it as an excessive self-defence type scenario and not impose a custodial sentence as the accused did not go out to engage violence.

“When violence was first offered to him, he said Mr Kumar retreated. After he was assaulted by the injured party he became involved in the use of violence and used something that he already had lawfully - a tool of his trade.

"Mr Sammon urged me to see this as a very exceptional, unusual case that would justify the use of a non-custodial sentence despite the serious injury,” said Judge McMullan.

The judge said Mr Kumar was clearly not the instigator of the incident and was trying to protect the owner but “ultimately, he slit part of the cheek of the injured party”.

Judge McMullan said it was a difficult case for any judge because it was a very serious incident involving somebody who is unlikely to offend again but did cause serious injury.

“It's a very raised scar and it's something that doesn't look like it's going to improve,” said Judge McMullan, who imposed a two-year prison sentence with the last six months suspended. 

“I do believe the custody threshold has been reached in this case,” said Judge McMullan.