Man jailed for unprovoked attack on his sleeping mother in her Cork home 

A man who told gardaí: “I wanted to clear my head” after he attacked his sleeping mother, violently striking her across the face with a saucepan, has been jailed for 18 months.

Judge Sinead Behan said that in light of the circumstances of the incident: “It is staggering to think that the GP in prison and the forensic psychiatrist are indicating he does not have a mental issue.”

Judge Behan said that an in-depth probation report was helpful in exploring social issues in his life as well as anger and vulnerabilities, but concluded with the recommendation of a psychiatric and a psychological report.

Judge Behan said: “This was an unprovoked attack on his mother who was asleep in her own bed. In terms of moral culpability, I think he struggles with mental health issues. This is a sad case where his mother is at the end of her tether and trying to move forward.”

The judge imposed a sentence of two and a half years, with the last year suspended on the basis that he would follow the directions of the Probation Service on his release from prison, and engage with mental health services.

Garda Simone Gilman-Burke outlined the background to the incident in a case where the parties cannot be identified, as one of the charges is brought under the Domestic Violence Act, namely an alleged breach of a protection order. The 24-year-old man also admitted assault causing harm.

Indicated 

The woman, who is aged around 50, indicated at an earlier court hearing that she believed that if her son was granted bail, he would return to her home in Cork and may even kill her. She said he was hearing voices in his head which were telling him to do things.

Garda Gilman-Burke said that when the accused was arrested and questioned, he told officers that he wanted to clear his head.

The defendant’s mother said: “I went to bed. I thought he was asleep already. At 10.20pm there was a slam. There was blood everywhere. I kicked him. He walked out. He has voices telling him what to do at this stage. He has serious mental health — the voices are telling him.”

Garda Gilman-Burke said the incident occurred on Saturday night, March 9, 2024, when the accused walked into his mother’s bedroom and struck her in the face as she slept, causing her nose to bleed heavily and leaving her with a swollen eye.

“The assault was completely unprovoked,” said Garda Gilman-Burke.

“She was asleep and entirely vulnerable. He fled afterwards.”