A man has confessed to forcing entry into a woman’s residence, assaulting her in the presence of her children, and stabbing her boyfriend on Christmas Eve 2024, reports Breaking News.
Stephen Power, who had accumulated 57 previous convictions—including arson, knife possession, drug possession for sale or supply, burglary, theft, and criminal damage—appeared for a sentencing hearing at Limerick Circuit Criminal Court.
The court was told that Power (34), from The Path, Garryowen, Limerick, broke into the woman’s home in Galbally, Co Limerick, during the early hours of December 24th, 2024, reports Breaking News.
Prosecuting barrister Lily Buckley, instructed by County Limerick State Solicitor Brendan Gill, explained that the woman, her two young children, and her boyfriend were preparing for bed when Power and others arrived at the front door and attempted to kick it in.
Armed with a knife, Power entered the house and stabbed the woman’s boyfriend twice in the back after he fell on the stairs while trying to shield the woman and her two young children, reports Breaking News.
The woman’s boyfriend “pulled the knife out of his own back”, said Buckley.
The woman’s 11-year-old son was deeply traumatised after witnessing the knife assault and the attack on his mother, the court was informed, reports Breaking News.
The boy ran barefoot to a nearby house to raise the alarm. He told gardaí he thought Power “was going to catch me but he didn’t” as he fled to seek help.
Buckley noted that the boy told gardaí he had seen his mother being dragged outside and assaulted: “He expressed concern that his mother had been killed”, said Buckley, reports Breaking News.
Power and the others persisted in attacking the woman outside her home.
The woman later told gardaí that Power had “beat the s**t out of me” and that he and others, who are not before the court, had “behaved like animals”, reports Breaking News.
Power also slashed the tyres on the woman’s car outside her residence that night and damaged a doorbell camera in an effort to eliminate video evidence of the incident.
The woman’s boyfriend told gardaí he felt “two sharp pains” in his back after being stabbed by Power, reports Breaking News.
“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.
While seated in the court dock, Power smiled as the prosecuting barrister described the details of the violent assault, reports Breaking News.
The court heard that the incident may have stemmed from ongoing tensions between the woman and certain individuals in the Galbally area.
The woman’s boyfriend, who did not reside at the house, appeared to have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. He told gardaí that Power and the others seemed “shocked” to find him present.
The court was informed that no footage was recoverable from the damaged doorbell camera, though gardaí obtained some video recorded on a mobile phone, reports Breaking News.
The woman’s boyfriend received hospital treatment for two stab wounds but has since fully recovered.
Gardaí recovered a knife and a broken blade from the scene and arrested Power the following morning.
Power initially denied any involvement in the attack. He faced charges of assault causing harm to the woman, assault causing harm to the woman’s boyfriend, criminal damage, and aggravated burglary, reports Breaking News.
Power later entered a guilty plea to one count of assault causing harm to the woman’s boyfriend, on a full facts basis.
The injured parties decided against submitting victim impact statements, said Buckley.
Power’s senior counsel, Mark Nicholas, described the attack as “disgraceful”, “disturbing”, “unacceptable” and “deplorable”, reports Breaking News.
Nicholas requested that the judge impose the most lenient sentence possible. He described Power as a “serious drug addict” and said the assault was “in keeping with his chaotic and addictive lifestyle”.
Nicholas contended that while Power’s lifestyle was “not an excuse”, it could help explain his actions on the night by “recognising the horror he was part of.”
Judge Colin Daly stated that he would deliver the sentence in March, reports Breaking News.
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