Courts / Ireland / Report
Woman to be sentenced for trying to murder civil servant
Summary
Laura Kenna, 35, was found guilty by a Central Criminal Court jury on March 5, 2019, of attempting to murder civil servant Fionnuala Burke and of assault causing serious harm on January 3, 2017. Kenna, who had no fixed abode, had pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to both counts, but the plea was rejected. The trial described how Kenna attacked Burke on Lower Drumcondra Road, stabbing her and slashing her neck with a deep cut that penetrated muscle and the thyroid gland, requiring intensive care surgery. Kenna had 59 prior convictions, including assault and knife possession, and had a history of mental health and substance abuse problems. She had previously been found not guilty by reason of insanity for an attempted eye gouge at a LUAS stop 16 days earlier. The hearing will resume before Ms Justice Tara Burns on April 11, 2019, when Kenna is expected to be sentenced.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Woman to be sentenced for trying to murder civil servant. Procedural stage: sentence. Findings: Found guilty
When:
- January 3, 2017 Incident
- March 5 Incident
- April 11 Incident
- 2019-03-25 Publication
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Plea: Not guilty
Finding: Found guilty
Outcome: Found guilty; Kenna later admitted to gardai: "I sliced her like you would a goat." At a sentence hearing today, Det Sgt Ken Hoare, of Mountjoy Garda Station, said Kenna had mental health and substance abuse issues for most of her adult life. The hearing will resume before Ms Justice Tara Burns on April 11, when Kenna is expected to be sentenced.
Places mentioned
- Lower Drumcondra Road
- Central Criminal Court
- of Mountjoy Garda Station
- Central Mental Hospital
Topics
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