Man blames 'brainwashing' for razor assault at Limerick addiction centre, trial hears

A MAN has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to a knife attack in a County Limerick addiction treatment centre.

Sean Beumer, aged 29, of Edenmore Crescent, Raheny, Dublin has pleaded not guilty to two charges - assault causing harm and producing an improvised “shiv” or knife.

Mr Beumer told gardai he slashed the neck of a fellow resident in Cuan Mhuire, Bruree, because of “thoughts and images” in his head.

The court heard that the “thoughts” in his head had “brainwashed” him into erroneously believing that he and his family would be murdered, and that if he hurt another person he would save himself and his family from harm's way.

READ MORE: Notorious ex-priest from Limerick to be jailed in Portugal over child sex abuse material

The trial, before Judge Colin Daly and a jury of seven men and five women, heard that Mr Beumer’s previously prescribed medications were “discontinued” in line with normal detox protocols at the centre.

Mr Beumer had been admitted to the alcohol detox programme in Bruree House on November 29, 2019. The attack occurred on December 13.

Sergeant Aidan Larkin agreed with Mr Beumer’s barrister, Lorcan Connolly SC, who said that Mr Beumer told gardai that the urge to harm someone in order to relieve his bad thoughts was “building” throughout the days he was off his medication “and he cracked”.

The incident occurred in the smoking area at around 1.30am on December 13, 2019.

After his arrest, Mr Beumer told gardai: “I went into the smoking room and put him (the victim) into a sleeper hold and tried to cut his face.”

The accused told gardai he was “relieved” when he carried out the attack, although he said his intention was to “cut” the man’s “face” but he “couldn’t see in the dark”.

Sgt Larkin agreed with Mr Connolly that the accused had expressed remorse and he was cooperative with the garda investigation.

The court heard Mr Beumer told gardai the attack was “not personal” and “I was doing it to save my family”.

“I was brainwashed into thinking it was the right thing to do.”

“I was ill, sick, depressed, I was asking to leave and they said ‘No’, I didn’t know what else to do,” Mr Beamer told gardai.

When asked if he had wanted to kill the victim, Mr Beumer told gardai: “No, just hurt him."

“Yeah I did it, I’m admitting to it because I don't want it hanging over me. I’m so sorry for what I done, I was pressurised into doing it.”

Mr Beumer claimed that another resident had shown him how to make a weapon by fixing unguarded razors to the plastic handle of a disposable razor.

The court heard that Mr Beumer and the victim had become friends while at Bruree House and they had been playing Checkers together in Mr Beumer’s room moments before the attack.

CCTV played in court showed Mr Beumer following the victim out of the room towards the smoking area. CCTV showed the victim later with blood around his neck approaching a nurse at the centre.

Sgt Larkin said one of the victim’s slash wounds ran across the length of his neck. The garda sergeant said one of the centre’s staff members had “innocently” cleaned up some of the blood at the scene as they were “not forensically aware”.

A staff nurse told gardai that the victim approached her bleeding from his neck and hand. The nurse said she “applied pressure” to the victim’s wounds and brought him to his room while they waited for gardai and an ambulance.

A medical report stated that the victim sustained three lacerations to his neck, including one which was seven inches in length, as well as a laceration to his hand.

The victim told gardai a man he believed to be Mr Beumer, whom he called “the Dub”, had “slashed open my neck”.

The victim said he had “no idea why the attack happened”.

“I got choked out from behind. When I woke I saw blood dripping everywhere. I remember being choked and being told, ‘Go to sleep’,” he told gardai.

The trial continues this Wednesday.