A Co Monaghan man has been handed down a 12 year prison sentence with the final 18 months suspended over a serious assault in the county.
Niall (Nyol) Tumelty of Coolderry, Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm to his aunt, Angela Cunningham at her home in Coughvalley, Carrickmacross, on April 22nd, 2023.
Judge John Aylmer described the assault on Angela Cunningham as an appalling assault that was fuelled by alcohol and cocaine.
Ms Cunningham was stabbed in the face and had received serious head injuries from a glass bottle that Mr Tumelty hit her with, in what the judge described as a frenzied attack on the woman.
The court was told how Angela Cunningham was left lying on the floor for 27 hours after the assault and that she has now been left with permanent and life-altering brain injuries
A letter of apology was read to the court today from the accused, the letter noted that Tumelty was very sorry for his actions and he said he hates himself for what he had done to his aunt.
He said it was very difficult to hear from his family when they were giving their impact statements at a previous sitting in Monaghan Circuit Court, adding that his mental health was in a very bad place and that he hates drugs and what they can do to people’s minds.
Mr Tumelty also took his aunt's car during the very serious assault that has now left her with no decision making capacity living on intensive care.
Judge Aylmer said one of the aggravating factors in this case was that the accused was on bail at the time for a very serious assault on a woman in 2021 who was out jogging on the Carlingford Lough Greenway in Co Louth and he subsequently was jailed for 6 years and nine months with the final 12 months suspended.
When passing sentence, Judge Aylmer said this case was very definite at the upper scale of the sentence that should be given which would stand at 15 years which he said would be merited.
Before handing down the sentence, the circuit court judge said a number of mitigating factors had to be taken into consideration.
He said the 30 year old accused had handed himself into Gardai when he presented to them alongside his father.
He was fully cooperative with Gardai, the judge noted that, “probation services say you are horrified and shameful for your actions and you are remorseful”.
In handing down a 12 year sentence with 18 months suspended on a number of conditions, Judge Aylmer said that Mr Tumelty will need a significant level of supervision when being released from prison.
