A 24-year old Shannon man carried out an unprovoked hammer attack from behind on a defenceless chef for a €9.50 packet of cigarettes.
At Ennis Circuit Court yesterday, Garda Lorraine Quain said that Dominic Hayes of Inis Eagla, Shannon approached Paul Culligan (27) from behind on August 4th last and struck him twice on the head with a hammer.
With blood streaming from his head wounds, Mr Culligan lost consciousness briefly and Mr Hayes dragged him to a nearby alley and struck him again with the hammer breaking his collar bone as he came around.
Mr Hayes pleaded guilty to the day-light robbing of Mr Culligan at Coill Mhara, Shannon and he made away with the packet of cigarettes – Mr Hayes went through Mr Culligan’s pockets and wallet and found no money.
The two hammer blows on Mr Culligan’s head required eight staples at Limerick A&E department and he was out of work for eight weeks as a result of the broken collarbone.
Garda Quain told the court that Mr Hayes told Mr Culligan that if he told Gardai about the assault “he would put a bullet through his head”.
Mr Hayes told Mr Culligan that the attack was in retaliation for an attack on his brother.
However, Garda Quain said that there was no truth in this. Garda Quain said that the assault on Mr Culligan “was completely unprovoked” and said that the victim was “in fear of his life”.
She said: “The two never had any dealings with each other before the robbery.”
Garda Quain said that Mr Hayes – who has been in custody on the offence since last August – has a history of violent crime and had only been released from prison after serving three years for an aggravated assault on May 31st 2013.
In his victim impact statement, Mr Culligan said that he celebrated his birthday in June “and I honestly thought that night I would not live to see it”.
He said: “This attack has left me frightened. I don’t go out anymore unless I have someone with me. This attack has had a severe effect on all of my life.”
Garda Quain said that Mr Hayes has 38 previous convictions including a number of road traffic offences with the first conviction dating from 2009.
The Garda said that Mr Hayes has a dependency on cannabis and is now suffering from mental health problems as a result of his drug abuse.
Judge Gerald Keyes said that “this is a very serious matter” and had serious aggravating factors including Mr Hayes committing the offence shortly after his release from prison.
He said: “I would like people who are crying out of the legalisation of cannabis who describe it as a milder drug to look at this case.”
Judge Keyes adjourned sentencing to October 28th and further remanded Mr Hayes in custody for the preparation of a psychiatric evaluation to be carried out at the Central Mental Hospital.
