GAA player delivers eloquent victim impact statement to man who assaulted her

Alisha Jordan delivered an eloquent victim impact statement to the man who seriously assaulted her two summers ago, telling Kevin Bynum that he had "failed miserably to destroy" her.

Bynum will serve eight years in jail as a result of the savage attack which almost killed the Meath native in 2012 when she was just 20.

In passing sentence at a Bronx courthouse, Judge Peter Benitez praised Ms Jordan for her resolve and determination.

The New York county player, who has since returned to Ireland, invoked her “beloved Gaelic football” as exemplifying her ability to emerge stronger and “victorious”.

“I captained my team [Cavan NY] to championship success a mere nine months after the attack. I would have given anything for you to watch me lift the trophy that day and show you how invincible I had become. I had taken the year and turned it around. I had taken what happened to me and made it into something that I could look back on and be proud of.”

Around 20 friends and supporters listened to her five-minute statement.

“I am the victim of a senseless crime,” she said, describing her extensive injuries including a fractured skull, crushed nose, and cracked teeth, “all for no reason at all”. If it had not been for her companion, she said, “I think he would have killed me. My entire life changed. The amount of suffering I’ve had physically and mentally has been hard to deal with. I was a 20-year-old girl who was confident in her looks and appearance. But after many hours of plastic surgery, I was now a 20-year-old who couldn’t bear to look in the mirror any more. I sat and cried almost every night about how the attack had disfigured my face and suffered panic attacks as a result. As strong as you felt that night holding the concrete in your hands, I hope today you feel as weak as you truly are. I hope you know that on that night you failed miserably to destroy me. Since the attack I have become healthier and stronger and I have laughed until I’ve cried with my family and friends.”

She paid tribute to her recently deceased father. “He was everything that you are not,” she added.

“I thought that speaking here in front of you today was going to be hard, that I would feel a lot of anger but instead I feel victorious... You are a lot less scary without the concrete in your hands. In fact almost pathetic.”

Prior to sentencing, Bynum expressed remorse, saying he didn’t know what happened due to being drunk and that he would try to get help.