A BURGLAR who cut a number of fingers from an artist’s hand and used knives on her “like a butcher” during a break-in will be sentenced at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court in July.
James Kenny (35) pushed his way into the woman’s apartment wearing a balaclava and took items before binding and gagging the woman, and later attacking her. He told gardaí he had no reason to attack the woman, had a problem with painkillers, and had just wanted to get money.
The woman described Kenny as using the knives on her “like a butcher”. She said she was sliding around in blood and felt her only option at one point was to play dead. She lost consciousness and when she awoke made her way to a local hotel, where she collapsed and staff called an ambulance.
The victim needed to be resuscitated on arrival at hospital and had suffered three deep facial lacerations, along with life-threatening wounds. She had stab wounds to her neck, abdomen and chest.
Her ring and little finger had been amputated at joints and her middle and index finger partially amputated. Doctors were able to reattach her middle finger, but she lost the other finger portions. Her facial scars are still visible.
Kenny, of Eden Block, Prospect Hill, Finglas, Dublin, pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary with a knife and machete at another block of the Prospect Hill complex, and to intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to the woman on September 2nd, 2009. Judge Tony Hunt adjourned sentencing until July 4th next to allow Kenny to be psychologically assessed in prison.
The woman is now unable to hold a pen. She had an exhibition in St Stephen’s Green in 2006 to some acclaim and had illustrated a children’s book. She had planned to illustrate a further book before the attack.
Kenny has a number of previous convictions for theft and a conviction for a serious assault. In that incident he broke into the home of a man and tied him up. When the man tried to escape he stabbed him repeatedly. The man escaped and then Kenny stabbed the man’s partner 10 times. He received a four-year sentence for that offence.
Breffni Gordon, defending, said a “psychological strategy” should be put in place for Kenny, and he should first be assessed by the Prison Service. Mr Gordon will give his plea in mitigation for Kenny at the next hearing.