Courts

Man sentenced to 18 months for firework assault that blinded Galway woman in one eye

Alex Byrne (23) did not realise he hit Katie Marnell until two days after letting off fireworks in Eyre Square

Byrne discharged an eight-shot Roman candle in Eyre Square, hitting Ms Marnell, who was at a bus stop across the road. Photograph: Joe O'Shaughnessy

Stephen Corrigan
Fri Jan 13 2023 - 20:53

A Dublin man has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for a firework assault that left a young Galway woman blind in one eye.

Alex Byrne (23), with an address at 55 Furry Hill, Sandyford Road, Dundrum, Dublin 14 pleaded guilty to the assault causing serious harm to Katie Marnell on October 22nd, 2021.

The accused was before Galway Circuit Criminal Court this week for sentencing where it was heard he discharged an eight-shot Roman candle firework in Eyre Square, Galway, striking Ms Marnell who was standing at a bus stop across the road.

In her victim impact statement, Ms Marnell described the horror that unfolded just after midnight on the date in question and how Byrne’s actions had stolen her dreams of becoming a surgeon.

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Reading the statement in court, Ms Marnell said she and two friends had been out in Galway. Shortly after midnight, the three of them were waiting on another friend to finish work so they could hail a taxi home.

As they chatted, she was struck by the firework Byrne set off, leaving her “in excruciating pain”.

“To this day, 446 days later, I still struggle to find words adequate enough to describe the pain,” said an emotional Ms Marnell.

As she lay on the pavement screaming for help, Ms Marnell said she believed she was going to die.

After eight hours in surgery, she awoke to be informed she would never see from her left eye again and would require a prosthetic.

Since the assault, she told Judge Brian O’Callaghan that she has been living with “ceaseless pain” and hasn’t been on a night out with her friends since.

Ms Marnell suffers with debilitating whiplash migraines and ice-pick headaches for which no medication works. She also has to deal with hearing loss.

“Flashbacks and memories haunt me in every waking moment,” she said.

Det Gda Gerry Carroll told the court that Eyre Square was packed with hundreds of revellers on the night the assault occurred – this was a regular occurrence when pubs closed early as a result of Covid-19 restrictions.

A trawl off CCTV footage identified Byrne, who was attempting to film himself setting off the firework, and he was arrested on November 17th, 2021 at his home in Dublin.

Byrne was visiting Galway for a friend’s birthday celebrations and footage was retrieved showing him returning to the apartments where he was staying to collect the firework.

Byrne took the witness box expressing deep remorse, telling the court he didn’t realise what had happened until two days later.

Apologising to Ms Marnell, he described his actions as “stupid and foolish”.

“There is not an ounce of malice in me as a person and I can’t possibly put into words the deep regret and remorse I have.

“If I could take all your injuries and inflict them on to myself, I would in a heartbeat as you don’t deserve it one bit,” said Byrne.

In sentencing, Judge O’Callaghan described the accused’s actions as “criminally reckless”.

He was hugely critical of those who posted videos of the assault on social media, which had added to Ms Marnell’s distress.

Imposing a headline sentence of five-and-a-half years in prison, he said he was reducing that by half, considering Byrne’s early guilty plea and because he had no previous convictions.

The accused had shown “genuine remorse”, said Judge O’Callaghan, as he suspended 15 months, sentencing Byrne to serve 18 months.

He must also pay €3,000 in compensation to Ms Marnell.

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