Courts

Mayo man who killed mother in 2011 committed unprovoked assaults due to drug-induced brain injury, court hears

Celyn Eadon (31) assaulted two men in separate incidents ten days after release from prison

Celyn Eadon arriving at Swinford District Court in 2014 where he was subsequently convicted with the manslaughter of his mother Noreen Kelly Eadon in 2011. File photograph: Keith Heneghan / Phocus

Fiona Ferguson
Fri Jul 14 2023 - 16:24

A Mayo man who killed his mother in 2011 has committed multiple unprovoked assaults since his release due to an acquired brain injury caused by drug abuse, a court has heard.

Celyn Eadon (31) committed his most recent assaults ten days after his latest release from prison.

Eadon, formerly of Derrycrieve, Islandeady, Castlebar, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two counts of assault causing harm to two men in random, unprovoked assaults at Malahide Road, Artane, on January 1st, 2023.

At a previous hearing, the court heard Eadon was convicted of murdering his mother, Noreen Kelly, in 2014, but this conviction was later quashed, and he pleaded guilty to her manslaughter. He was jailed for 10 years, backdated to when he first went into custody in 2011.

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Eadon has eight previous convictions for assault, most of these occurring while he was in custody.

He was released from the manslaughter sentence in 2021 and randomly assaulted a support worker visiting his home shortly afterwards.

Last year Judge Martin Nolan imposed a two-and-a-half-year sentence and suspended the final 14 months for the assault on the support worker. Eadon was released in early January 2023 and assaulted two men ten days later while on the suspended portion of his sentence.

On Friday Judge Nolan asked defence counsel: “Why does he keep assaulting people?”

Patrick Gageby SC, defending, told Judge Nolan that Eadon has an acquired brain injury from a long history of alcohol and drug abuse from a very early age. He said this caused significant cognitive impairments, which cannot be fixed or remitted.

He said Eadon had basically given himself a brain injury, and the restraints that normal people have are substantially loosened.

Mr Gageby said Eadon’s frustrations in life well up, and unfortunately, sometimes there is someone beside him. He said it was not done out of malice or pleasure but was an unfortunate byproduct of his brain injury.

He said Eadon cannot have the usual sociability people have in prison, and living outside of prison is difficult as his brain injury is an ever-present fact.

Mr Gagbey said that following the assaults, Eadon had told a social worker what occurred, and they contacted gardaí, effectively turning himself in. He has been in custody since and did not seek bail.

Counsel said Eadon was anxious that an apology be conveyed to the two men he assaulted.

Judge Nolan said Eadon presented the court with an unusual challenge. He said there had been two unprovoked and violent assaults committed because Eadon “could not control himself basically”.

He said Eadon had rendered himself into this situation through the long-term use of drugs and intoxicants, and the condition is permanent.

The judge said Eadon will have this problem for the rest of his life, but it also presents a problem for society and the court in sentencing.

“This court is not in the business of preventive detention, but I have to take into account I cannot say it is likely he will not reoffend,” said Judge Nolan.

“The likelihood, if not probability, is that he will, and the court has to take that into account.”

Judge Nolan imposed consecutive sentences totalling six years and suspended the final two years on condition that The Probation Service supervise Eadon on his release.

Gda William Sexton told Garett McCormack BL, prosecuting, that the first man was using an ATM when he was attacked suddenly by Eadon. He was punched a number of times in the face, as Eadon called him a “dickhead”, and then continued to be hit after falling to the ground.

A member of the public came to his aid and broke up the incident while another person videoed what was occurring.

Eadon left the scene and got on a bus, where he assaulted a man coming down the stairs of the vehicle. He hit the man eight to ten times. The incident was captured on the bus’s CCTV.

Eadon contacted gardaí himself after telling a social worker he had been involved in two assaults.

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