Part-paralysed woman allegedly assaulted with wine bottle

A woman on trial for allegedly assaulting a partially paralysed woman with a wine bottle during an aggravated burglary told gardaí­ she was passing the house and stopped to help the woman.

Grace Tormey (22), of Parnell Street, Sallynoggin, Dublin has pleaded not guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to aggravated burglary at Rollins Villas, Sallynoggin on November 16th, 2012.

After gardaí­ arrived at the scene the alleged victim, Lisa Lee, told them no burglary had taken place and they were not needed, the trial has heard.

Ms Lee was asleep in a downstairs bedroom at about 4am when she heard banging on the front door and she woke her then partner, Jason Kelly.

Barricaded upstairs

She told the trial they barricaded themselves into an upstairs bedroom using a wardrobe. She said she could hear voices shouting that “they were going to cut Jason”.

Ms Lee told Mr Kelly to go and get help and he left through a window. He told the trial two men waiting in the garden assaulted him before he managed to get away and raise the alarm.

The court heard Ms Lee had previously suffered a stroke and was partly paralysed. She told Gerardine Small BL, prosecuting, that she was unable to hold the door and her attackers managed to get into the bedroom.

She said a man and a woman came into the bedroom and asked where Jason was. Ms Lee said the woman told her: “I’m Grace Tormey,” and said Ms Lee had been fighting with her sister.

Ms Lee said the accused and the unidentified man started attacking her by kicking and punching her. She was lying on the ground because of her paralysis during the attack.

Pulled out knife

She said someone pulled out a knife and that the accused smashed a bottle over the back of her head. She said during the attack Ms Tormey kicked, punched and pulled lumps out of her hair.

She said Jason Kelly arrived with his brother and the male attacker climbed out a downstairs window shortly before gardaí­ arrived.

Garda Garvin Alan told Ms Small that when he arrived at the house Ms Lee was bleeding with facial injuries. He said Ms Tormey was "apparently attending" to Ms Lee's wounds with damp tissue.

He said Ms Lee told him no burglary had taken place and that she did not need gardaí.

Ms Tormey informed him she had been walking past the house, saw the front door damaged and came inside to help Ms Lee.

The trial continues before Judge Patricia Ryan and a jury.