A 19-year-old Limerick man had both his eyes lacerated and was blinded for life after he was assaulted with a hurley, a court heard yesterday.
The evidence was heard at Limerick Circuit Court where two men pleaded guilty to assaulting David Sheehan, Garryowen, just over two years ago.
Darren Frahill (19), Cosgrave Park, Moyross, Limerick, pleaded guilty to assaulting David Sheehan causing him serious harm, contrary to Section Four of the Non Fatal Against the Persons Act, on January 11th, 2003, at West Singland Road, Garryowen.
A co-accused, Kieran Malone (20), Larkin Drive, O'Malley Park, Limerick, pleaded guilty to assaulting Mr Sheehan causing him harm on the same date, contrary to Section 3 of the Non Fatal Against the Persons Act.
The two accused men had previously denied the charges but yesterday they changed their pleas to guilty after a jury had been sworn in for the trial.
The court heard that David Sheehan was returning home from a night out with friends when he saw the two accused men standing near a shop corner, near his home in Garryowen.
Mr Sheehan, who was 17 at the time, went home and took a hurley from his wardrobe and went up to the two men and asked them if they had a problem with him.
The former Dunnes Stores worker told gardaí he got the hurley in case the two men were armed. However, the court heard yesterday that neither of the accused men were carrying weapons.
Mr Sheehan and his friend Derek Ahern then began fighting with the two men, the court heard.
Evidence was given that Derek Ahern fought with Darren Frahill in what was described as a "consensual fight" and Mr Sheehan fought with Kieran Malone.
Judge Carroll Moran was told that Mr Ahern and Mr Frahill stopped fighting and shook hands afterwards, while the other two men continued to fight.
In a statement to gardaí, Derek Ahern said that when Mr Frahill noticed Mr Sheehan "getting the better of Kieran Malone", he ran over to the two men, picked up the hurley and hit Mr Sheehan into the side of the ribs, causing him to fall to the ground. Malone was then punching Sheehan while sitting on top of him.
Mr Ahern told gardaí that Mr Frahill hit Mr Sheehan in the legs and the face with the hurley.
In an interview with gardaí, Darren Frahill conceded he may have hit Sheehan in the face with the hurley but he wasn't sure.
Det Sgt Brian Sugrue told the court that immediately after he was hit with the hurley, David Sheehan realised he couldn't see.
Det Sgt Sugrue said the injured party suffered a broken nose bridge and both his eyes were lacerated in the assault.
According to consultant ophthalmologist Dr Brendan Young, Mr Sheehan had permanently lost his sight in both his eyes as a result of the injuries received.