Cork man who attacked wife with boiling water and claw hammer to be sentenced in May

A garda testified that the accused man flagged down a garda patrol car while soaked in his wife’s blood and carrying a bloodstained hammer.

A 63-year-old man who caused serious harm to his wife by pouring boiling water on her as she slept and striking her with a claw-hammer had sentencing in his case adjourned today until May 8.

Noel Twomey was remanded in custody until that date by Judge Helen Boyle at Cork Circuit Criminal Court.

The case had been listed for sentencing but defence senior counsel Seamus Roche said they were still waiting for reports on the accused. Emmet Boyle, prosecuting, said he was aware of the defence application.

Twomey pleaded guilty to each of the three charges against him.

Seamus Roche, defending, asked the judge to extend free legal aid for the preparation of a psychiatric report and a GP’s report on the accused in advance of sentencing.

Twomey pleaded guilty to production of a claw hammer and two counts of assault causing serious harm to his wife — once by pouring boiling water on her, and a second time by striking her with the hammer.

When the case against Twomey, of 18 Carbery Grove, Knocknaheeny, Cork, first came before Cork District Court, Detective Garda Brian Murphy testified that the accused man flagged down a garda patrol car while soaked in his wife’s blood and carrying a bloodstained hammer in a plastic bag at 5am on Monday January 15, 2024, at Bakers Road, Gurranabraher, Cork.

Objecting to bail, Det Garda Murphy said: “This is very serious. She went to sleep in the safety of her own bed. Noel Twomey made the very conscious decision to boil a pot of water and retrieve a claw hammer from the tool box … He then entered his bedroom where his wife slept and attacked her in a cowardly fashion as she lay asleep.”