Woman scalped by ex with bread knife commended for mercy

A WOMAN whose former partner scalped her hair with a bread knife was commended for her “very Christian outlook” by Judge Carroll Moran at the Circuit Criminal Court, in Tralee.

Geraldine Marsh indicated through gardaí she did not want to see Jason Murphy go to jail, even though he inflicted gruesome injuries on her.

Murphy, of 181 Shanakill, Tralee, Co Kerry, was given a two-year suspended sentence after pleading guilty to assaulting her, causing her harm, on August 10, 2007. The court was told the accused called to Ms Marsh’s house at Cloghers Drive, Tralee, and claimed she had been sleeping with someone else. Their relationship had broken up and their young daughter was asleep upstairs.

In evidence, Detective Sergeant Fearghal Pattwell said when she opened the door he grabbed her by the hair and dragged her into the kitchen. He then threw her against the wall. He also kicked her hard in the ribs and then started cutting her hair with the knife. “In doing so, he cut her scalp. She was very frightened and blood was pouring out of her head,” said Det Sgt Pattwell.

When gardaí called to the house, they found two clumps of hair in the kitchen. The also found a knife which had a considerable amount of blood on it, he said.

Covered in blood, she ran to a neighbour’s house for help and was taken to hospital by ambulance. She was later removed to a Cork hospital for treatment of lacerations.

Barrister Brian McInerney, for the accused, said Murphy deeply regretted what had happened and it would never happen again. Ms Marsh did not give evidence, but gardaí said she did not want Murphy to go to jail as he was still involved in the care of their child.

Judge Moran described the crime as extremely serious, but said Ms Marsh was very Christian in her outlook. Suspending the sentence for four years, he warned Murphy the sentence would have to be served if he committed any further offence against Ms Marsh.