Attacker of 89-year-old woman had 96 convictions

A man with 96 previous convictions was sentenced to 10 years in jail, with two years suspended, for what a judge described as a savage and brutal beating of an 89-year-old woman, Eva Sutton of Bray, Co Wicklow.

The attack so traumatised the women that she wished it had killed her. The attacker was on bail when he beat her.

Michael Cash (25), of Ashlawn Park, Ballybrack, Dublin, appeared on Tuesday before Judge Michael O'Shea at Wicklow Circuit Court, charged with burglary, false imprisonment, and assault causing harm.

His co-accused, Jamie O'Brien (23), formerly of Hazelwood, Bray, received the same sentence last April.

They beat and robbed Mrs Sutton at her home in the early hours of September 10th, 2015.

In a report read out by prosecutor Paul Murray, the court heard that Mrs Sutton was very independent prior to the attack. In it she sustained numerous injuries, including broken ribs, a broken nose, punctured lung, lacerations to the face and legs, and bruises all over her body.

The total value of jewellery stolen during the burglary exceeded €6,000, of which only costume jewellery was later retrieved. Total monetary costs arising from the attack, including medical costs and damage to property, was €23,780.

Nightmares

In the aftermath of the assault during her recuperation at Leopardstown Park, Hospital, Mrs Sutton had her wounds dressed daily, and needed help putting her clothes on. She had difficulty sleeping at night and suffered nightmares.

She suffered bouts of depression, anger and not recognising people – all symptoms of age-related post-traumatic stress disorder. She would awake crying out, imagining the ordeal happening again. Even now she needs to have the hall light left on and bedroom door left open.

“Eva wishes she had died that morning,” the court heard in a victim impact statement read out by Mr Murray. “She made the decision herself not to return home. She would have gone mad – imagining hooded phantoms returning to do their worst.”

Garda Tom Bissett told the court that neither Cash nor O'Brien had made any admissions during interview.

“Michael Cash answered but completely denied all involvement,” said Garda Bissett. “He described the attack on Mrs Sutton as ‘sick’.”

Garda Bissett said that Cash’s 96 previous convictions included 29 for theft and burglaries, and others for criminal damage, public order, weapons, assault, and road traffic charges. He was on bail on other matters at the time of the attack.

Drugs

Senior counsel Orla Crowe, defending, said her client wished to offer "his profound and sincere remorse" to Mrs Sutton. He had been consuming drugs over the preceding day leading up to the attack.

Judge Michael O’Shea said Mrs Sutton had been “a wonderfully independent lady, in a position to look after herself”. He said “this was severely and brutally interrupted on the date in question. . . [Cash and O’Brien] “clearly showed her no sympathy or mercy”.

“She was in a vulnerable, helpless, hopeless situation when the two men entered her home. The outrageous savagery and brutality they subjected Mrs Sutton to is unimaginable.

"What they did to her amounted to torture. They tortured this decent, wonderful, kind lady, for what reason? She was frail. What would she do? Absolutely nothing."