A gay American writer suffered "extremely serious injuries" and had been "expected to die" after being assaulted in his Sligo flat by two local men, Sligo Circuit Court was told yesterday.
The trial opened yesterday of Mr Glen Mahon (21) of Banks Drive, Cranmore, and Mr Ian Monaghan (20), of Ashbrook, Pearse Road, who are charged with intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to Mr Robert Drake. Both men have pleaded not guilty. The court was told by Mr Denis Vaughan Buckley SC, for the State, that Mr Drake (36), who is an "internationally well-known writer", was in a critical condition, and had to be put on a ventilator when he was admitted to Sligo General Hospital on January 31st. He was later transferred by helicopter to Beaumont Hospital in Dublin.
Mr Drake had been lying injured for about 15 hours before being found in his flat on Holborn Street at about 8.45 p.m. on January 31st. Some six weeks later he was transferred by air ambulance to Philadelphia.
In his opening submission, Mr Vaughan Buckley said the writer was no longer on a ventilator, but that he had not made a great recovery.
Mr Vaughan Buckley said the two accused would allege that Mr Drake had made a sexual advance to one of them after he had invited them into his flat for drinks.
"If you accept that he was attempting to sexually interfere with him, I would submit that a person is entitled to use reasonable force to defend themselves, but is not entitled to use excessive force," Mr Vaughan Buckley said.
He also told the jury that the fact Mr Drake was a homosexual was "not a matter you should have any regard to".
The court was told that both Mr Mahon and Mr Monaghan went voluntarily to gardai with their solicitor within days of the incident and made detailed statements. Some three weeks later they were arrested and charged.
In his statement, which was read to the court, Mr Mahon claimed that he and Mr Monaghan met Mr Drake on Holborn Street at about 4 a.m. on January 31st. He invited them into his flat for drinks. At one point Mr Mahon went out of the room to the toilet. He returned, he claimed, to find Mr Drake lying on top of Mr Monaghan on the floor. His friend was lying face down and shouting "get him off me". He claimed he could not get Mr Drake off his friend.
"I then hit him with my fist, using the full force of my fist into his nose and mouth", Mr Mahon's statement said. Details of Mr Monaghan's statement read to the court gave a similar account of the incident. Both men denied kicking Mr Drake or using any implement to hit him.
Mr Monaghan said in his statement: "All he got, at most, was three thumps to the face."
Dr Patricia Fitzsimmons, a radiologist at Sligo General Hospital, gave details of a cat scan carried out on Mr Drake.
She said he "suffered severe trauma to practically every part of the brain" and that his injuries were the "equivalent to having two very severe car accident injuries on both sides of the brain". The trial continues today.