Court hears Clare woman lost sight in one eye after kick from stiletto at nightclub

An Ennis woman lost the sight of her left eye after receiving the kick of a stiletto heel during a fight with another woman at a nightclub in Ennis two years ago.

In the incident shown on CCTV at Ennis Circuit Court today, Jennifer Ziemann’s stiletto heel made contact with Katie Kenneally’s left eye and perforated her eye-ball when she kicked out at Ms Kenneally in the early hours of May 6th 2018.

The footage shows how the two had got into an altercation in the outdoor area of the Queen’s nightclub in Ennis and both ended up on the ground.

A bouncer employed by the night-club grabbed Ms Ziemann (26) while others took hold of Ms Kenneally, with an address at Parnell Street, Ennis and the two were separated.

However, when Ms Kenneally made a lunge for Ms Ziemann, 21, Ms Ziemann kicked out with her stiletto resulting in the ‘catastrophic’ injury for Ms Kenneally.

The altercation described by Judge Gerald Keys as “relatively minor” between the two only lasted a number of seconds.

The life changing injury sustained by Ms Kenneally came just under four weeks before she lost her younger brother, Jack (15) in a tragic double drowning in a dis-used quarry outside Ennis.

Junior Cert students and Ennis rugby club u-15 team-mates, Jack Kenneally and Shay Moloney (15) both lost their lives in the drowning tragedy at Gaurus, outside Ennis on May 31st 2018 days before the two were due to start their exams.

Ms Ziemann has pleaded guilty to assault causing harm of Ms Kenneally and in court today, counsel for mother of one, Ms Ziemann, Michael Collins SC said that the incident has had “the most profound and appalling consequences for Katie Kenneally”.

In her victim impact statement read out in court today, Ms Kenneally stated that she constantly worries about losing sight in her other eye.

Ms Kenneally was in court today supporters by family members.

She stated that her vision in her left eye “will never come back and I find that very hard to deal with”.

Ms Kenneally stated that the result of the assault changed her life forever in many more ways than one.

Ms Kenneally stated:

“I struggle to look at myself in the mirror as it’s a constant reminder of what happened that night and I will never be able to forget it.”

Ms Kenneally stated that she that now suffers from anxiety and panic attacks as a result of what happened and had to leave her brother, Jack’s funeral “as the crowds were too much for me”.

Ms Kenneally required surgery on her eye after the attack and she was left in severe pain.

She stated that for months after she had to wear sunglasses even indoors as the light irritated her eyes.

Mr Collins said that Ms Ziemann apologises for what occurred.

He stated that in the immediate aftermath when it became known the extent of Ms Kenneally’s injury, Ms Ziemann “was appalled and never intended such a consequence to occur”.

Mr Collins stated that it was never Ms Ziemann's intention “to hurt, inflict injury or to maim”.

Katie Kenneally

Mr Collins stated that there was no premeditation on the part of Ms Ziemann in the assault.

He stated: “There was no recklessness on the part of Ms Ziemann - she kicked out in an instinctive and defensive manner.”

He stated: “You have two very decent young ladies who were out for a night and it ended up with appalling consequences for Katie Kenneally.”

Mr Collins argued that Ms Ziemann’s culpability was at the lower end of the scale due to the way the night unfolded.

Mr Collins stated that his client would be able to have €3,000 compensation for Ms Kenneally in a matter of weeks.

Mr Collins asked Judge Keys to give Ms Ziemann a chance as she “is not a bad person, not a person of a violent disposition and didn’t go out to seek or reek trouble or harm anyone that evening”.

He stated “It is a very, very difficult case when you consider the nature of the defensive action but the catastrophic consequences that it caused.”

Judge Keys stated that he would reserve judgment and remanded Ms Ziemann on continuing bail to April 28th for sentence.