A Limerick man who blinded another man for life after hitting him a "vicious blow" with a hurley has been jailed for three years.
Darren Frahill (19), Cosgrave Park, Moyross, Limerick, pleaded guilty to assaulting David Sheehan causing him serious harm, in January 2003 at West Singland Road, Garryowen, Limerick.
Sentencing against a co-accused, Kieran Malone (20), O'Malley Park, Limerick, who admitted a lesser charge of assaulting Mr Sheehan causing him harm on the same date, has been adjourned for one year.
Before imposing sentence at Limerick Circuit Court yesterday, Judge Carroll Moran described the case as one of the most "horrendous" he has had to deal with.
Judge Moran said Frahill was clearly the more culpable of the two accused men as it was he who had hit Mr Sheehan a "vicious" blow with the hurley which resulted in the "catastrophic" injury.
"Mr Frahill hit Mr Sheehan with the hurley across the bridge of his nose with such ferocity that he instantly blinded him, permanently," the judge said. Mr Sheehan, who is now aged 20, had both eyeballs lacerated and was blinded for life.
Judge Moran was told that Frahill had "gone off the rails" since this incident and had amassed a number of previous convictions.Last month he also pleaded guilty to an aggravated burglary charge relating to an offence he committed in October 2004.
Judge Moran sentenced him to a further year in prison on this charge and ordered that it be served consecutive to the three-years for the assault charge.
Before sentencing Malone, Judge Moran said he had to take into account that he had not struck Mr Sheehan with the hurley and that his charge was a lesser charge. He also had no previous convictions and was "unlikely to re-offend", according to a probation report.
Judge Moran adjourned sentencing for one year provided Malone obeyed the probation services during that period.