Girl says she was lucky not to be blinded in stiletto attack

A teenage girl who stabbed another girl with a stiletto heel during a drunken row after a school graduation ceremony has been told she faces jail if she doesn’t co-operate with the Probation Service.

At Ennis Circuit Court, Judge Gerald Keys gave the warning to Shannon Jordan (19) of Lios Anana, Sixmilebridge, Co Clare.

Ms Jordan’s victim, Natasha Griffin McMahon — who was aged 17 at the time of the assault in August 2015 — suffered a fractured eye socket and laceration when Ms Jordan used the pointed heel of her shoe to strike her in the face.

Ms Jordan pleaded guilty to the assault which occurred in Shannon town centre as a group of teenagers returned from a school graduation ceremony in Limerick in the early hours of August 25th, 2015.

In her victim impact statement read out in court on Wednesday, Ms Griffin McMahon said she came close to being blinded by the stiletto. The deepest cut from the stiletto “was millimetres below my eye”, she said.

“If it had been even slightly higher I would have lost my eye completely or at best my sight. It terrifies me to think of how much my life would have been affected if that had happened.”

She underwent surgery and it was only after four to five months that she began to regain the feeling and movement in the side of her face that was subjected to the stiletto attack.

“Every time I met with the doctor, they advised me of how fortunate I had been. Fortunate not to have lost my eye and fortunate to have been under such good care at the hospital that they were able to recover the feeling in my face.”

Ms Jordan has been paying compensation to Ms Griffin McMahon at a rate of €50 a week since February of this year and her solicitor had €1,700 in court. In all, Ms Jordan is to pay €5,000 in compensation to Ms Griffin McMahon.

Det Sgt Kevin O’Hagan previously told the court there was a high level of intoxication among the group as they returned by bus from Limerick.

The court heard that when the bus arrived at Shannon at around 3am, a verbal argument erupted between Ms Griffin McMahon and Ms Jordan’s then boyfriend.

Det Sgt O’Hagan said Ms Griffin McMahon pushed Ms Jordan who was carrying her shoes in her hand after the night out. Ms Jordan then used the shoe to strike her victim in the face.

Counsel for Ms Jordan, Patrick Whyms BL said there was a probation report in court on Wednesday and it’s “not entirely glowing” for his client.

Addressing Ms Jordan in court, Judge Keys told her to engage with the Probation Service “otherwise you are facing a custodial sentence”.

Det Sgt O’Hagan said on the night, Ms Jordan attended Shannon Garda Station, made admissions and indicated her actions were in self-defence.

She has no previous convictions and works in the bar trade.

Mr Whyms said it was never his client’s intention to cause injury to the girl’s eye. He said it was an “excessive reaction” to being pushed.

Judge Keys adjourned sentencing to December 18th and remanded Ms Jordan on continuing bail to that date.