A man who stuck a screwdriver four inches into the brain of a friend through his eye has been jailed for 18 months by Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. Pierce Butler was preoccupied with the occult when he rammed the screwdriver 10 to 15 times through Laurence Spain's eye "in a fit of insane delusion".
Butler believed Mr Spain had "some kind of demonic pull" over him, defence counsel Mr Patrick Gageby SC told Judge Dominic Lynch.
Garda Kevin Conway said the victim's mother and younger brother had to haul Butler off him. Mr Spain had now only peripheral sight in the eye.
Butler (26), of Henley Park, Churchtown, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm to Mr Spain on February 24th, 1997.
Garda Conway told prosecuting counsel, Ms Isobel Kennedy, both men had been friends for some 10 years and had been out drinking earlier that night. Mr Spain went home to bed, and shortly afterwards Butler let himself into the Spain household with his own key.
He went up to Mr Spain's bedroom, crept to the side of his bed and attacked him. When the Spain family intervened, both defendant and victim ran off. Butler was arrested a short distance away, and Mr Spain was eventually located by gardai.
Garda Conway agreed with Mr Gageby that the defendant talked a lot of nonsense when making a statement to the effect that he believed Mr Spain had some demonic power over him. He agreed further with Mr Gageby's suggestion that Butler no longer displayed such signs of "madness". He had been preoccupied with the occult for years before that.
Butler, in evidence, said he spent some time in a psychiatric hospital after the attack and was released in May 1997. He had changed his life-style and now stayed clear of drink, drugs and the occult. He was also playing cricket again.
Butler apologised to Mr Spain and his family. He had raised a small sum in token compensation and hoped to raise more.
Mr Gageby said his client did not suffer any longer "from the strange and weird delusions" he had at the time of the offence. He was very ill then and carried out his attack during a temporary insane fit. He could have pleaded insanity in the case but did not.
Judge Lynch said he considered compensation was out of the question for such an injury. The public must be made aware of the seriousness of the offence and the least sentence he could impose was one of 18 months.