Man admits beating woman and stabbing boyfriend in front of children during home break-in

David Raleigh

A man has admitted to breaking into a woman’s home, beating her in front of her children and stabbing her boyfriend on Christmas Eve 2024.

Stephen Power, who had 57 prior convictions, including for arson, possession of knives, possession of drugs for sale or supply, burglary, theft, and criminal damage, was before a sentencing hearing at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court.

The court heard that Power (34), of The Path, Garryowen, Limerick, broke into the woman’s home, at Galbally, Co Limerick, in the early hours of December 24th, 2024.

Prosecuting barrister, Lily Buckley, instructed by County Limerick State Solicitor, Brendan Gill, said the woman, her two young children and her boyfriend, were getting ready for bed when Power and others appeared at her front door trying to kick in the door.

Armed with a knife, Power gained entry to the house and stabbed the woman’s boyfriend twice in the back after he fell on the stairs trying to protect the woman and her two young children.

The woman’s boyfriend “pulled the knife out of his own back”, said Buckley.

The woman’s 11-year-old son was severely traumatised after he witnessed the knife attack and assault on his mother, the court heard.

The boy ran barefoot to a neighbouring property and raised the alarm. He told gardaí he thought Power “was going to catch me but he didn’t” as he ran to get help.

Buckley said the boy told gardaí he had seen his mother being dragged out of the house and assaulted: “He expressed concern that his mother had been killed”, said Buckley.

Power and others continued to attack the woman outside her house.

The woman told gardaí afterwards that Power had “beat the s**t out of me” and that he and others, not before the court, had “behaved like animals”.

Power also slashed the tyres on the woman’s car outside her home on the night, and he damaged a doorbell camera at the woman’s house in an attempt to destroy video evidence of the attack.

The woman’s boyfriend told gardaí he felt “two sharp pains” in his back after Power stabbed him.

“He was loosing blood and getting weaker, his clothes were blood-soaked, and there was quite a bit of blood on walls at the scene,” said Buckley.

Sitting in the dock of the court, Power smiled when evidence of the violent attack was being described by the prosecuting barrister.

The court heard the attack may have been sparked by tensions between the woman and others in the Galbally area.

The woman’s boyfriend, who did not live at her house, appeared to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. He told gardaí that Power and others seemed “shocked” to see him in the house.

The court heard there was no video footage available from the doorbell camera, gardaí retrieved some video footage which had been recorded on a mobile phone, it was heard.

The woman’s boyfriend was treated in hospital for two stab wounds but has since made a full recovery.

Gardaí recovered a knife and a broken blade at the scene, and arrested Power the morning after the attack.

Power initially denied having anything to do with the attack. He was charged with assault causing harm to the woman, assault causing harm to the woman’s boyfriend, criminal damage and aggravated burglary.

Power later pleaded guilty to one count of assault causing harm to the woman’s boyfriend, on a full facts basis.

The injured parties chose not to write victim impact statements, said Buckley.

Power’s barrister, senior counsel, Mark Nicholas, said the attack was “disgraceful”, “disturbing”, “unacceptable” and “deplorable”.

Nicholas asked the judge to be as lenient as he could when passing sentence. He said Power was a “serious drug addict” and that the attack was “in keeping with his chaotic and addictive lifestyle”.

Nicholas argued that Power’s lifestyle at the time was “not an excuse”, but may have explained his behaviour on the night in “recognising the horror he was part of”.

Judge Colin Daly said he would pass sentence in March.