Husband jailed for pouring pot of boiling water over head of sleeping wife

Olivia Kelleher

A man who poured a pot of boiling water over the head of his wife as she slept and then attacked her with a claw hammer has been jailed for eight years.

Cork Circuit Criminal Court heard that Jackie Twomey (59) had gone up to bed after a night out, only to be woken from her sleep when her husband Noel emptied a pot of boiling water on top of her.

Her husband of over forty years then hit her several times with a claw hammer. The attack occurred at the family home in Carbery Grove in Knocknaheeny, Cork city, on January 15th, 2024.

Twomey has a 3.5cm scar on her scalp arising from the incident. She spent six days in hospital following the attack as doctors feared that her extensive burns could lead to sepsis. She suffers from PTSD arising out of the terrifying incident in which she narrowly avoided a serious cranial injury.

In sentencing Mr Twomey to nine years with the last year suspended, Judge Dermot Sheehan described as an “aggravating factor” that Twomey carried out the attack on his wife. He said that Twomey should have been able to trust that her husband wouldn’t do her any harm.

He noted that as Twomey was asleep, she had “no opportunity to defend herself.” He also said that he was conscious of the physical and psychological toll the attack had on her.

Sheehan ordered Noel Twomey not to have any contact — direct or indirect — with his wife for a period of 12 years. He added that the crime was undoubtedly premeditated in nature.

The court heard that the 63-year-old father of three had made a very conscious decision to boil a pot of water on the stove and to retrieve a claw hammer from his toolbox.

Det Garda Michael Dolan said that Mr Twomey “considered his actions for a short period” and then entered the bedroom where his wife was sleeping, where he attacked her. The attack occurred at 3.30am.

Mr Twomey was arrested at 5am on January 15th, 2024, at Bakers Road in Gurranabraher in Cork after he flagged down a passing patrol car. He admitted what he had done to gardaí.

Defence barrister Seamus Roche, SC, said that his client deeply regretted his actions. He read out a letter of apology from his client to his family.

However, when the sentence was handed down, Mr Twomey stated: “I killed nobody. It was just a domestic with my wife. That is all I had.”

The court heard that Mr Twomey has to be held in a cell on his own in prison as he cannot get on with members of the prison population.

Speaking after the hearing, Jackie Twomey said that she was pleased with the sentence handed down by the court.

“(The courts process) has lasted two years, two months and one day. I have been counting the hours. I am so happy it is over. There was a letter of apology read out. I’ve never seen that letter. I hope I never have to see his face again.

If he had done it (attacked her) with the hammer first, I would not be standing here. He was thinking about (the attack) for years. It was in his head to do it. It was just a matter of when.

The only reason he walked out the door (and handed himself in) was because I was able to get up and get out myself. I had to push myself out.

I woke up screaming like a banshee. I can still hear my screams every night. I have never heard a person scream like that unless it was a movie. I had to push my way out while I was being hammered.

I am so lucky. I should be dead. That was his plan. He is not sorry. He isn’t sorry for anything he ever done in his life. I know that man. 40 years married. 43 years together. I am terrified of him. I’m forty years terrified of him.”

Ms Twomey, who was visibly in physical pain in court, said that the courts process had taken its toll on her. She also emphasised that her husband always thought “he was better than everyone.” As a result, he subjected her to a life of “walking on eggshells.”

She explained that the injuries inflicted on her by her husband had changed her life forever.

“I am in a lot of pain. I can’t lie on the left side of my face as it's too painful. I have dents in my head. Anytime I wash my hair, all I can feel are the holes. It was agony to sit in the court,” she said.

She said that during their marriage, she did everything she could to placate her husband in order “get a good day out of him”.

“I thought if he had one or two good day,s I might have one or two good days. Forty years walking on eggshells, and they cracked that night.”

She is of the belief that Mr Twomey attacked her on the night of the offence as she had gone out, and he did not like that she had taken her life back.

Meanwhile, Twomey of Carbery Grove, Knocknaheeny in Cork had pleaded guilty to two counts of assault causing harm to his wife on January 15th, 2024.

One of the counts was for pouring boiling water on his wife whilst the second was for hitting her with a claw hammer.

In her victim impact statement, Ms Twomey said that she thought she was going to die on the night of the offence.

“I remember the pain and screaming. I couldn't believe what was happening. I was in Cork University Hospital for six days and needed a lot of follow-up care. That was the physical side. The psychological trauma is worse. I don't think I will ever be the same person as I was before that night.”

Twomey said that arising out of the traumatising incident she is afraid of “going to bed.”

“I fear going to bed, and I fear just sleeping. The nightmares return every night, the pain and memories are there all the time, but worse at night. It’s hard to put in words how my life has changed and the anxiety and terror that have become part of my life. I should have been safe asleep in my own bed.

"I have a very supportive family and friends who are 100 per cent behind me. I hope I get peace some day.”

Twomey thanked gardaí, paramedics, the staff at CUH and her own doctor for their help following the incident.