Courts / Louth / Report
Pair who carried out 'prolonged' hammer attack in which grandmother lost eye have convictions upheld
Summary
A former couple who carried out a 'prolonged' three-hour attack on a grandmother, who lost an eye after being struck several times with a hammer and tied up in a bin bag, have had their convictions upheld by the Court of Appeal. Gerard Stokes (44) and Samantha Campbell (36) were convicted of seriously assaulting the woman, falsely imprisoning her, and committing an aggravated burglary. The attack, which occurred at Stokes' home in December 2018, involved Stokes repeatedly hitting the victim with a hammer and threatening to kill her. The woman was tied in a bin bag and subjected to severe injuries, including the loss of her eye. Stokes received a 13-and-a-half-year sentence, with two years suspended, while Campbell received a 12-year term, also with two years suspended. The pair appealed their convictions, arguing that the victim's statement to gardaí should not have been admitted as she was 'in and out of consciousness' at the time. However, the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, stating that the statement was made voluntarily and was reliable.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: Pair who carried out 'prolonged' hammer attack in which grandmother lost eye have convictions upheld. Procedural stage: appeal
When:
- December 5, 2018 Incident
- January 8, 2019 Hearing Or Sentence
- 2025-12-08 Publication
Case subjects
Convicted Person
Outcome: Stokes received a 13-and-a-half-year sentence, with two years suspended, for seriously assaulting the victim, who lost an eye in the attack and now uses a prosthesis.
Convicted Person
Places mentioned
- Court of Appeal
- Dundalk
- Dundalk Circuit Court
- Dundalk
- Waterville
- Waterville Crescent
- Stoke's house
Topics
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