State appeals 'undue leniency' of Ian Horgan's sentence for hammer attack in Cork

During the sentence hearing, the court heard Horgan later sent a mocking video of the bloody aftermath of the attack with “Lovely Day” playing in the background

Ian Horgan (pictured) was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years for the hammer attack on Hassan Baker and the assault of his mother, Mary O’Callaghan.

The State has lodged an appeal against the sentence imposed on convicted killer and rapist Ian Horgan for a hammer attack in Cork city.

Horgan, of no fixed abode and formerly of the Hermitage in Macroom, Co. Cork, was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years for the hammer attack on 29-year-old Hassan Baker and the assault of his 66-year-old mother, Mary O’Callaghan, at their home in MacCurtain’s Villas in Cork city in March 2022.

Now, the DPP has lodged an appeal with the Courts Service against the “undue leniency” of the sentence imposed on Horgan. He pleaded guilty to the count of assault causing serious harm to the victim and assault causing harm to his mother.

During the sentence hearing, the court heard he later sent a mocking video of the bloody aftermath of the attack with “Lovely Day” playing in the background.

The trial was also told that Horgan took the bus to Cork city from Macroom, walked to a derelict shed near the crime scene, changed his shoes and clothes and walked to the house where he carried out the attack.

After the attack, he shared videos of the aftermath with his then girlfriend, who had previously been going out with Mr Baker.

The court was told that Horgan wrote a number of letters expressing his remorse about the attack, including to the two victims, as well as to presiding Judge Helen Boyle. He told his victims in the letters that he was trying to put his time in prison to good use.

In sentencing, Judge Boyle said the pre-meditation was an aggravating factor as were the facts he armed himself with a hammer and directed the blows to Mr Baker’s head, causing fractures to his skull, jaw and orbital bone around his eye socket. 

Mr Baker was left with significant physical difficulties, a stammer, headaches, nightmares, seizures and extensive scarring as a result of the attack.

No date has been set for the appeal being taken by the DPP.