Courts / Limerick / Report

7.5 years for 'horrific' head stabbing that 'destroyed' victim's life

Date
2021-02-01

Stage
Sentence

Primary locality
Limerick

Summary

A 29‑year‑old man, Thomas Power, was sentenced to seven‑and‑a‑half years in prison for stabbing a stranger, Eoin Casey, in the head on 20 August 2018. The knife entered Casey's left temple, travelled across his brain and left the tip inside the skull. Casey spent two weeks on a ventilator and five months in a rehabilitation centre, and now suffers lifelong disability, epilepsy, speech dyspraxia and impaired reading and writing. Power pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm and assault causing harm, and was also found guilty of assaulting Aaron Grant, who sustained superficial injuries. Power's sentence, back‑dated to 20 January 2021, runs concurrently with the two convictions and includes an 18‑month suspended portion for the serious‑harm charge.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: 7.5 years for 'horrific' head stabbing that 'destroyed' victim's life. Charges or matters: assaulting Aaron Grant, causing him harm, on the same occasion. Procedural stage: sentence

When:

August 20, 2018 Other
January 20, 2021 Incident
September 20, 2018 Incident
August 22, 2018 Incident
2021-02-01 Publication

Case subjects

Unnamed 29-year-old

Convicted Person

Charges: assaulting Aaron Grant, causing him harm, on the same occasion (Admitted)

Plea: Guilty

Outcome: A 29-year-old man who stabbed a stranger in the head and "destroyed his life" by leaving him with a "horrific" brain injury and a lifelong disability, has been jailed for seven-and-a-half years. Power was sentenced to nine years in prison with the last 18 months suspended for assault causing serious harm and two years for assault causing harm.