Limerick woman ‘afraid to smile’ after assault by Navy boxer

A LIMERICK WOMAN feared a heavyweight boxer on the Irish Navy team, who swore he would never hurt a hair on her head, was going to kill her as an assault on her was so ferocious.

The victim suffered a permanent displacement of an eye after he punched her a number of times in her bedroom. She said she is now afraid to smile as it makes her eye look out of sync.

David O’Gorman, aged 37, of Drumgoole, Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny pleaded guilty to assault causing harm at an address in Limerick in May 2020.

Prosecuting barrister John O’Sullivan, instructed by State Solicitor Padraig Mawe, outlined the facts of the case with the assistance of Sergeant Brian Grogan.

Mr O’Sullivan said the victim, aged in her 30s at the time, was in an on-off relationship with the accused since 2013 up to the time of the offence.

“Mr O’Gorman, a native of Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny, is a petty officer with the Navy, based in Haulbowline in Co Cork,” said Mr O’Sullivan.

The court heard that they hadn’t seen each other since February 2020 following an argument. On May 29, 2020, Mr O’Gorman sent a text and a text conversation ensued.

“She was at a friend’s house. He offered to pick her up. She got a lift from a friend to her house. He arrived at the house,” said Mr O’Sullivan.

On the following day the accused and the victim went to a barbecue where he became “very drunk”.

“A taxi brought them home to her house at 1.30am. Mr O’Gorman went to the spare room. There was an argument about walking the dog. She took the dog for a walk around the estate. When she came back his mood had deteriorated. He slammed a door in her face and kicked the door. She remonstrated with him over his lack of respect for her house,” said Mr O’Sullivan.

Mr O’Gorman came into her bedroom while the victim was in her underwear.

“He slammed her against the wardrobe causing her to fall to the ground. She said, ‘I’ll never forgive you for this’. He walked out. She was upset. She went to the bedside locker and got letters from him following their break up in February. She said, ‘This is what I think of your letters’ and tore them up.

“He stormed back in. He saw red. He said, ‘You f****** bitch’. He stormed at her around the bed with his fists clenched. He began to punch her with both hands to the head at least five to 10 times.

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“She put her hand up to protect her face. She was on her side on the bed and he punched her two or three times in a frenzy. She was terrified and in immense pain.

“She was bleeding and couldn’t see out of her right eye. She feared he was going to kill her because the attack was so ferocious,” said Mr O’Sullivan.

Sgt Grogan confirmed to the prosecuting barrister that Mr O’Gorman is an accomplished heavyweight boxer who boxes on the Irish Navy boxing team.

Mr O’Gorman rang for an ambulance saying it was a “domestic issue.” The victim contacted a male friend to come immediately, saying she had been beaten up.

Mr O’Sullivan said when the victim’s friend arrived Mr O’Gorman was sitting on the steps outside the house.

“He kept saying ‘I’m sorry’. He said ‘I can’t believe what I have done’ and ‘My mother would be so ashamed’. He was punching himself in the face. The male friend tried to stop him but he was too strong. Mr O’Gorman left before gardai arrived,” said Mr O’Sullivan.

The medical evidence was that the injured party received a fractured eye socket and bruises to her face and body.

Reconstruction surgery left her with a scar and her eye has changed position.

Mr O’Sullivan said the victim says when she smiles or laughs her eye looks out of sync.

The injured party said, in a victim impact statement read out to the court by Mr O'Sullivan, that her life changed forever that night.

“I will never be the same again. He swore he would never hurt a hair on my head. I have a permanent displacement of my eye. My eyeball moved.

“Looking in the mirror is a constant reminder of what he did to me. My confidence is gone and I’m afraid to smile.

“I’ll never be able to get over how this happened in my own bedroom in my own house,” read the victim impact report.

Mr O’Gorman was arrested on June 1, 2020 and told gardai he was ashamed of himself.

“She is an amazing person. I’m so sorry,” he told gardai.

Andrew Sexton SC, barrister for Mr O’Gorman, said this is a dreadful situation.

“He instructs me to make a complete and unreserved apology,” said Mr Sexton, who also spoke of his client’s serious state of regret and apology on the night.

“It is a tragic case. The victim is the main concern. He has no previous convictions of any sort.

“He is engaging with the Probation Service and MEND (Men Ending Domestic Abuse),” said Mr Sexton.

Judge Tom O’Donnell said it is a very serious matter and domestic violence is of huge concern.

He noted the Probation Service has asked for an adjournment.

“I work hand in hand with the Probation Service in helping me to decide proportionate sentences,” said Judge O’Donnell, who adjourned the case until November for the full report to be completed.