A MAN who slashed an Australian tourist's face with a knife in Galway and disfigured her for life before taking £30 was sentenced to five years in prison yesterday. Judge Harvey Kenny, sitting in Galway Circuit Court, said he greatly regretted that the penal system did not allow judges to inflict pain on people who carried out such crimes.
Charles Cawley (34), of Benbulben Terrace, Sligo, pleaded guilty to assaulting Ms Katriona McCormack (32), of New South Wales, with a carpet knife at Riverwalk, Galway, in June of last year.
"This was a horrible and cowardly attack. I cannot speak sufficiently ill of the nature of this attack. Here was a tourist strolling home at night and you set her up and attacked her," the judge noted.
"It would have been very easy to take her purse without resorting to a knife, but you cut her, not once, not twice but three times. Nothing can be said in your favour. She is left permanently scarred. My great regret is that the penal system does not allow judges to inflict pain in such circumstances."
Judge Kenny noted that the defendant could not compensate his victim, that he "hadn't the guts or the capacity to earn a living and is in prison for other offences with a long history of abuse against the citizens of Ireland".
He ordered that the five year prison term be consecutive to whatever term Cawley was currently serving and urged the prison governor not to give him an early release.
During the hearing, a charge of robbing Ms McCormack was withdrawn by the State. The defendant pleaded guilty to wounding her with intent to maim, disfigure or disable her.
Mr Padraic O hUiginn BL prosecuting, said Ms McCormack had suffered a 12 cm laceration to her face and other cuts to her chin. She had travelled from Australia for the hearing and was prepared to address the court.
Det Garda Tom O Flatharta said Ms McCormack was assaulted from behind after she passed a couple lying together at a riverbank as she was returning to her accommodation. The girl with Cawley, Sharon Lewis of London, had been convicted of robbery and sentenced to three months in prison but had absconded after serving 20 days when she was let out on temporary release.
"Ms McCormack received horrific injuries. She had to get 35 stitches to the wound. She is still scarred mentally and physically," he added.
The court heard Ms McCormack was employed in the Australian State Prison Service as an education officer and had since been unable to return to work.