A 44-year-old man was stabbed in the stomach resulting in him undergoing emergency surgery after he got into an argument with a man whose brother had eloped with his 16-year-old daughter.
Eddie Sweeney of 3 Bridge Street, Ballinrobe, was jailed for two years after he pleaded guilty to stabbing Jim Ward with a kitchen knife in his partner’s home in Westport on June 11, 2011. The incident took place after Mr Ward went to the house looking for his 16-year-old daughter who had gone missing with Mr Sweeney’s brother.
An argument arose between the two men over whether Mr Sweeney’s brother would be harmed if he returned and in the scuffle, Mr Ward received a single stab wound to the stomach. The wound lacerated his liver and he was rushed to hospital where he underwent emergency surgery to the liver.
Mr Sweeney (32) admitted his guilt to the gardaí and in a letter addressed to Mr Ward, he apologised for his actions and claimed they were instinctive and not premeditated.
Sergeant Denis Harrington explained that Mr Ward’s daughter had gone missing with Daniel Sweeney, the brother of the defendant, and heard that they were in Westport.
Eddie Sweeney lived in Westport at the time with his partner and last week’s sitting of Castlebar Circuit Court heard that Mr Ward went to his house.
Sgt Harrington said that Mr Sweeney and Mr Ward did not know each other at the time but Mr Sweeney agreed to try in get in contact with his brother.
Mr Diarmuid Connolly, counsel for the defendant said that Mr Sweeney was remorseful for what he did and made a full confession when he was arrested. He said his client did not go looking for trouble and asked the judge to be lenient. In sentencing Mr Sweeney, Judge Thomas E O’Donnell said the use of a knife was a serious offence and sentenced him to two years imprisonment but suspended the last six months of the sentence.
