Limerick man blinded for life after hurley attack

A 19-year-old Limerick man had both his eyeballs lacerated and was blinded for life after he was assualted with a hurley, a court heard today.

The evidence was heard at Limerick Circuit Court, where two men pleaded guilty to assaulting David Sheehan, Garryowen, Limerick just over two years ago.

Darren Frahill (aged 19) of Cosgrave Park, Moyross, Limerick, pleaded guilty to assaulting David Sheehan, causing him serious harm, contrary to Section Four of the Non-Fatal Against the Persons Act, on January 11, 2003, at West Singland Road, Garryowen, Limerick.

A co-accused, Kieran Malone (aged 20), of Larkin Drive, O'Malley Park, Limerick, pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Sheehan causing him harm on the same date, contray to Section Three of the Non-Fatal Against the Persons Act.

The two accused men had previously denied the charges but today they changed their pleas to guilty after a jury had been sworn in for the trial.

The court heard that David Sheehan was returning home from a night out with friends when he saw the two accused men standing near a shop corner, near his home in Garryowen.

Mr Sheehan, who was 17 at the time, went home and took a hurley from his wardrobe and went up to the two men and asked them if they had a problem with him.

The former Dunnes Stores worker told gardaí he got the hurley in case the two men were armed.

However the court heard yesterday that neither of the accused men were carrying weapons. Mr Sheehan and his friend Derek Ahern then began fighting with the two men, the court heard.

Evidence was given that Derek Ahern fought with Darren Frahill in what was described as a "consensual fight" and Mr Sheehan fought with Kieran Malone.

Judge Carroll Moran was told that Mr Ahern and Mr Frahill stopped fighting and shook hands afterwards, while the other two men continued to fight.

In a statement to gardaí, Derek Ahern said that when Mr Frahill noticed Mr Sheehan "getting the better of Kieran Malone" he ran over to the two men and, picking up the hurley, hit Mr Sheehan into the side of the ribs causing him to fall to the ground.

Malone was then punching Sheehan while sitting on top of him, he said. Mr Ahern told gardai that Mr Frahill hit Mr Sheehan in the legs and the face with the hurley.

In an interview with gardaí, Darren Frahill conceded that he may have hit Sheehan in the face with the hurley but he wasn't sure.

"I could have hit the guy in the face with the hurley. I'm not sure. I was trying to get him off Kieran," he said.

Detective Sargeant Brian Sugrue told the court that immediately after he was hit with the hurley David Sheehan realised he couldn't see.

Det Sgt Sugrue said the injured party broke the bridge of his nose and both his eyes were lacerated in the assault.

According to medical evidence from Consultant Ophthalmologist, Dr Brendan Young, a cat scan carried out on the injured party at Limerick Regional Hospital revealed that both his eyes were filled with blood.

Dr Young said that Mr Sheehan's right eye had a large laceration extending from the front to the back of his eye and that "much of the contents of the eye had been extruded".

The medical expert concluded that as a result of the injuries suffered Mr Sheehan had permanently lost his sight in both his eyes.

The court heard that Mr Sheehan, the youngest of six children, is cared for by his twin sister Karen.

Counsel for the State John O'Sullivan said the injured party, who suffers from paranoia "from time to time", was in shock for some time after the incident.

Mr O'Sullivan added that Mr Sheehan's mother Maureen Sheehan "had displayed great fortitude in the face of this terrible tragedy" and the injured pary was lucky that his family was so supportive.

Judge Carroll Moran described the case as "exceptionally difficult" adding it was the "most difficult sentences I've ever had to pass".

The judge was told that Darren Frahill had amassed a number of previous convictions since the incident but that Kieran Malone had no previous convictions.

Counsel for both of the accused requested that sentencing be adjourned pending the completion of probation reports.

Judge Moran granted the request and adjourned sentencing until June 8 next.