5-year sentence for stabbing friend 22 times

A young mother who stabbed her friend 22 times in an Ennis playground was yesterday jailed for five years, with the final year suspended.

Charlene Sherlock, aged 23, assaulted Nicole Keane, aged 22, after accusing her of cheating on Ms Keane’s boyfriend, who is Ms Sherlock’s brother.

Sherlock, who has a nine-month-old girl, pleaded guilty at a previous sitting of Ennis Circuit Court and sentence was passed yesterday at a resumed hearing at Limerick Circuit Court.

Judge Carroll Moran said CCTV showed the frenzied nature of the attack.

As well as a wound to the heart, Ms Keane received a disfiguring scar to the face, and Judge Moran said Sherlock was lucky she was not facing a murder or a manslaughter charge.

After the attack, Sherlock, covered in blood, went to a nearby Dunnes Stores outlet and tried to steal a bottle of vodka.

Det Insp John Galvin told the court Sherlock attacked Ms Keane because she believed the victim was being unfaithful to Sherlock’s brother, with whom the victim was in a relationship.

Brendan Sherlock, aged 20, also with an address at Dromard, Ennis, was in prison at the time.

Det Insp Galvin said Sherlock and Ms Keane, who were friends, met in town on the day of the assault. He said the pair drank vodka while Sherlock also consumed two Upjohn tablets.

A 16-year-old witness said he heard screams and saw Sherlock stabbing and slashing the victim with a knife and repeatedly shouting: “Were you messing with my brother?”

In a statement, Ms Keane said all she remembers of the attack is receiving two stabs in the back.

She declined to make a victim impact statement and was not in court yesterday.

Det Insp Galvin said Sherlock, who has 45 previous convictions, admitted stabbing Ms Keane two times.

Judge Moran imposed a five-year sentence and suspended the final year.