Victim left with ‘physical and emotional scars’

The victim of an attempted murder said she was left with physical, emotional and psychological scars by the “continuous, vicious and frenzied attack” by her former partner after she told him she planned to leave.

Donna Foster gave a victim impact statement yesterday, nine days after her former partner Patrick O’Rourke, 63, pleaded guilty to her attempted murder at their home in Cooline Drive, Ballyvoloon, Cobh, Co Cork, on August 11, 2015.

O’Rourke also pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to a minor at the same location on the same date. At a hearing yesterday at the Central Criminal Court Justice Patrick McCarthy heard evidence and adjourned sentencing until next Friday.

Delivering her statement, Ms Foster said she needs time to heal from the “atrocity” inflicted on her by O’Rourke: “I sustained serious stab wounds from a continuous, vicious and frenzied attack which left me fighting for my life, as I truly and honestly believe I was about to die.”

She said that if it were not for the intervention of the minor who was also injured in the assault, she would not be here today. She said she is under continuing medical supervision and has lost her hairdressing business. She tires easily and finds it difficult to concentrate. She has suffered panic attacks, often brought on when she picks up a knife to prepare a meal: “For me, I now have a different perspective on life. I realise that life is precious and fragile.”

She added that she finds it hard to believe that a man she trusted “would subject me to the most horrific attack in an attempt to kill me”.

The court also heard from Detective Garda Michael Dillane of Cobh Garda Station who told counsel for the State Timothy O’Leary SC that the relationship between O’Rourke and Ms Foster had broken down prior to the attack but there had been no previous violence. He said O’Rourke had not come to garda attention before.

Donna Foster: Panic attacks.

Speaking to Brendan Grehan SC, representing O’Rourke, Det Gda Dillane said Ms Foster and O’Rourke had been together about 15 years. Two weeks before the attack she said she no longer wanted to be with him and planned to leave. He agreed that O’Rourke had given a statement to gardaí in which he described confronting Ms Foster about her plans to leave on the morning of the attack before fetching the knife he used to stab her repeatedly.

Mr Grehan later told Justice McCarthy that this was not an excuse for O’Rourke’s behaviour, but that he wished the court to be aware of the background to the attempted murder.

Declan O’Connor, who said he knew O’Rourke as a colleague for 20 years, told the court that he is proud to call O’Rourke his friend. He said he had been a good friend and a comfort to him on many occasions. He added that management considered O’Rourke to be an “excellent worker”.

Mr Grehan handed the judge a report from the governor of Cork prison, describing O’Rourke as a “trusted person”. “It describes him in very positive terms,” he said.

Mr Grehan asked the judge to take the guilty plea into account — and to consider O’Rourke’s age, saying that a lengthy custodial sentence would amount to a life sentence.

Justice McCarthy said cases of attempted murder are highly unusual and he would consider the appropriate sentence. He adjourned the case until next Friday.