Limerick man stabbed stranger in the head following "chance meeting"

A 29-year-old Limerick man stabbed a stranger in the head, leaving him with a significant brain injury and a lifelong disability, just hours after Limerick’s victory in the 2018 All-Ireland hurling final, a court has heard.

The court also heard during Thomas Power's sentence hearing today that the knife penetrated victim Eoin Casey's skull, leaving the tip of the weapon inside.

In a letter of apology to the victim, Power said he did not expect his apology to be accepted by Mr Casey but said what he had done was "utterly inexcusable".

Power, formerly of Alderwood Avenue, Caherdavin pleaded guilty last November to assaulting Mr Casey (25), causing him serious harm in the early hours of August 20, 2018 at Woodbine Avenue in Caherdavin. 

He has also pleaded guilty to assaulting Aaron Grant, causing him harm, on the same occasion.

At the Central Criminal Court this Thursday, two victim impact statements were read to the court by prosecuting counsel Conor Devally SC. 

In an emotional victim impact statement, the brother of Mr Casey, Martin Casey, said it has been two-and-a-half years since Eoin was stabbed in the head and everyday he wakes up wishing it was a "terrible nightmare". He said his brother was given a 50/50 chance of staying alive at the time and all they could do as a family was hold each other and cry.

"I will never be able to erase the image of Eoin. I never knew a human's head could swell so much and be so disfigured. We know a part of him died that night and it would never be like it used to be. He will never tie his own laces again or text a girl, never be able to remember his mobile number, simple everyday things we think nothing of. Eoin needs help with simple, everyday things now," he said. 

Martin Casey said there have been "more bad days than good with Eoin" and when he has a good day then the family has a good day. "Caring for someone with a brain injury is a full time job. I wish I could see bright things ahead," he said.

He said his brother was stabbed 500 metres from their home and that whilst Power had not taken Eoin's life, he had taken his brother's livelihood. "He has taken his ability to work and his purpose in life. He has given our family a life sentence of fear and taken away all of our freedom," he said.

Mr Devally read a second victim impact statement from Mr Grant who was also stabbed twice on the night in the back and shoulder.

Mr Grant said: "What should have been an enjoyable night turned into a nightmare. I have never seen so much blood. I kept telling Eoin that he would be ok but I could hardly get the words out. I felt helpless and vulnerable and what I saw that night will live with me forever. Since that night my life has changed drastically. I've become very uncomfortable with groups of people. The trauma of that night will live with me forever."

During the sentencing hearing, Detective Garda Mark McAuley told Mr Devally that the events occurred in the early hours of September 20, 2018, just hours after Limerick’s historic victory in the All-Ireland hurling final at Croke Park.

Outlining the events that led up to the stabbing, Det Gda McAuley said CCTV footage indicated that two groups of men, who had each been out celebrating separately that day, encountered each other through a "chance meeting" in the Caherdavin area of the city as they made their way home for the night. 

The court heard that Power and one of Casey's friends had a mutual friend and this was what "sparked up the conversation" between them which had led to the altercation. "There was no history between them," said the detective. 

The witness said Power received a blow from Mr Casey, which was not of a significant nature but caused him to stumble. Power then hurried back to a house where his girlfriend, who was expecting their first child at the time, was living and which was less than 200 metres away.

He retrieved a knife and moments later returned to Woodbine Avenue, where Mr Casey and Mr Grant were.

Mr Grant told gardai that Power assaulted them both and within moments of the attack, he saw his friend Mr Casey "bleeding to an alarming degree" on the ground. 

The court heard that Power then returned to his girlfriend's house and deposited the knife in a bin outside. Mr Grant tried to raise the alarm and two passersby called the emergency services.

Mr Casey was brought to University Hospital Limerick and treated for his significant internal head injury, which had caused a swelling to his brain. 

Det Garda McAuley said the knife had entered Mr Casey's left temple region and penetrated the skull. The knife, which was never recovered, was described as being blue and "blue particles or fragments" were later removed from Mr Casey's wound. 

Mr Casey had to be taken to Cork University Hospital for further treatment, where he was put on a life support machine as the knife had penetrated the left temple lobe across the brain.

A CT scan showed several areas of traumatic haemorrhage located in the left region of the brain and a metallic fragment was embedded in the right side of the skull, which appeared to be consistent with the tip of the knife. The ongoing swelling of the brain meant that it was necessary to remove a portion of Mr Casey's skull as he would have lost his life had this had not been conducted, said Mr Devally, adding that it is predicted that the victim will have a lifelong disability and his rehabilitation will be a slow process. 

The court heard Mr Casey spent five months in a rehabilitation centre in Dun Laoghaire in Dublin and has "ongoing" medical treatment. Responsibility for his care is shared between his parents and brother.

"He has certain deficits in relation to his word processing and memories and there has been a great diminishment in his abilities. Communication for him is something that is rendered very problematic and he has been left with dyspraxia of speech," said Mr Devally, adding that there is concern if independent living is possible for him due to his "significantly acquired brain injury". 

Mr Casey's reading and writing skills have all been impacted by the event but he has achieved some goals of a "modest nature". The court also heard that his "abilities weigh heavily on him" and he suffers mood swings and some depressive events. 

Power was arrested on August 22, 2018 and told gardai in his initial interview that he had been "unfairly hit" and then went to bed in his girlfriend's house.

When asked about the knife, Power indicated that he was not aware of one and denied knowledge of the more serious incident.

However, Power told gardai in his third interview that he "had this vision in his head that I must have done it" and said he left his girlfriend's house that night with a weapon before discarding it in a wheelie bin. When it was revealed to Power by gardai that another man had overheard him tell Mr Casey, "I'm going to kill you", the defendant said he did not mean this as an "explicit intention" that he was going to do it. 

The detective testified that Power also acknowledged stabbing Mr Grant to a more superficial degree. Mr Grant suffered two superficial injuries to his right shoulder, which did not cause lasting damage and was unaware of their existence until he was later treated in the ambulance. 

The court heard Power has six previous convictions, which are mainly public order matters and he has one minor conviction for possession of cannabis. 

Under cross-examination, Det Garda McAuley agreed with defence counsel Sean Gillane SC that his client found it difficult to accept that he could have done this in his initial interview but "opened up" in his third interview, saying that he must have stabbed Mr Casey. 

The detective further agreed that Power said in his interviews that it was "a disgusting thing to do" and he was "truly sorry". 

Mr Gillane said Power and Mr Casey were "utterly unknown" to each other and their paths had crossed with "tremendous consequences" for Mr Casey and "ripple consequences" for their individual families. 

The lawyer said his client was reared by his mother and her partner in Clonmel in Tipperary, left school at 17 years and thereafter "things began to drift".

He began to drink very heavily and abuse cannabis and ecstasy. As his relationship with his girlfriend became closer, he moved to Limerick to live with her. 

In a letter of apology to Mr Casey, Power said he did not expect his apology to be accepted by him and said he felt ashamed for what he had done and it was "utterly inexcusable".

Mr Gillane said that mitigating factors were his client’s lack of any history of violence, his remorse, his guilty plea and the positive and stable family relationship he had built with his partner. 

In his submissions, the barrister asked the court to take into consideration that this was a "chance encounter" rather than some "animus or pre-meditation".

He asked the court to place some "small measure" on the fact that his client had not gone out armed in the "hope or expectation of trouble" and highlighted that this did not minimise Power's "disastrous decision making process" of going back to his girlfriend's house only to re-emerge with a knife. 

"I ask the court to structure a sentence in a way so as not to close out the future for Mr Power, who is still relatively young and appears to be someone who can contribute to society, all in the very dark shadow of what has been done to Mr Casey," he concluded. 

Mr Justice Paul McDermott remanded the defendant in custody until Monday, when he will be sentenced.