Jail over attack on pregnant woman

A pregnant woman was attacked by three youths and knocked to the ground as she walked home from work in Cork and yesterday one of the teenage attackers was jailed for two years.

Judge Gerard O’Brien imposed a three-year sentence on Shane Purcell, aged 19, at Cork Circuit Criminal Court and suspended the last year of that sentence.

Purcell, of 7 Seminary Court, Blackpool, admitted assault causing harm to the pregnant woman and, on a separate occasion, assaulting a man with a crutch.

“This case is extremely alarming, it is an alarming escalation of his behaviour, an assault on a pregnant woman minding her own business,” said Judge O’Brien.

Detective Garda Ian Coughlan said the injured party was walking home from work in Cork City centre. She was on Princes St, Cork, after 7pm on November 29, 2015, when three youths approached her.

“In a completely unprovoked assault, she was attacked and knocked to the ground. She was six months pregnant at the time,” Det Garda Coughlan said.

The youths were ultimately identified on CCTV.

The injured party suffered bruising to her left thigh in the attack.

Det Garda Coughlan said officers called to the defendant’s home and in the course of a search they found clothing matching that which he had worn on the night and that had been clearly seen on the CCTV.

Niamh Stewart, defending, said Purcell was remorseful and wanted to convey his apologies to the woman.

Det Garda Coughlan said this indication of remorse by the barrister was the first time the accused had apologised for his actions.

Sgt Kieran O’Sullivan said the same culprit struck a 58-year-old man with a crutch. He also punched him. This occurred when the injured party heard a ruckus outside his house at Farran St and he went out to tell them to quieten down.

Judge O’Brien imposed a three-year sentence in respect of each assault, to run concurrently with the last year suspended.