A WICKLOW youth who blinded a nurse in one eye by throwing an egg at her from a passing car will carry out community service in lieu of three years in jail.
David Morgan (18) was out “egging” with friends when he hit the woman as she was out walking.
Judge Katherine Delahunt put the matter back to next year to see whether there was sufficient work for Morgan to do in the community. She said she would impose the maximum number of community service hours.
The judge directed that half of the €10,000 which Morgan had gathered as a token of remorse go to the Society of St Vincent de Paul and the rest to the Peter McVerry Trust. The victim had previously rejected the money.
Morgan, The Green, Woodbrook Glen, Bray, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Ann Dooley on the Bray Road on March 26th, 2008. He had taken the stand to read an apology, saying he “would have done anything for this not to have happened”.
Det Garda David Jones said Morgan had never been in trouble with gardaí before and was genuinely remorseful. Judge Delahunt accepted Ms Dooley did not wish to see him go to jail.
Det Garda Jones told Garret Baker, prosecuting, that Morgan had met friends to drive to a party and “egg” the people there. As they drove, Morgan saw Ms Dooley and her friends walking up the road. He threw an egg at them, hitting Ms Dooley in her left eye. She was in “very severe pain” and was brought to a nearby house, from which her husband brought her to the Eye and Ear Hospital.
The medical report stated she had an extremely large wound and the lens of the eye almost disappeared. She lost all sight in the eye. She incurred medical expenses of nearly €12,000 and claimed she had lost earnings of €1.5 million as she had planned on returning to work as a nurse, but now could not. The figure is based on a nurse’s pay up to retirement.