SHOCK Locals in the normally sleepy village of Balla were shocked last May at the shooting in the local Costcutter supermarket, which lies on the bottom of Main Street, in the direction of Castlebar.
Man who shot mother of four in Balla get seven years
A man who shot his cousin twice as she worked in a shop in Balla last May was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment at last week’s sitting of Castlebar Circuit Court.
Vincent O’Donnell of Knocknabrone, Mayo Abbey, pleaded guilty to shooting his second cousin, Dympna Walshe, twice at close range with a shot gun on May 31, 2011. The court heard there was friction between the two people due to her close relationship with his 83-year-old mother.
The incident occurred at 6.30pm when Mr O’Donnell (48) entered the Costcutters shop in Balla where Ms Walshe (50) worked as a shop assistant and twice shot the mother of four in the legs, in front of customers at her till.
The court heard that as Ms Walshe lay lying on the floor, O’Donnell threw down his shot gun and ‘laughed and smirked’ before leaving the shop.
Judge Rory Mac Cabe described the injuries sustained by Ms Walshe as ‘truly horrific’ and said she was lucky to be alive. He suspended the final three years of the seven year sentence and backdated the start date to May 31, 2011 when he was first remanded in custody.
Ms Walshe was rushed to Mayo General Hospital where she remained until June 17 and had to take 15 different tablets for three weeks for the pain and to heal the wounds. She said she hates to look at the wounds which Judge Mac Cabe said were ‘graphic and shocking’.
She continues to undergo extensive rehabilitation and stated that after arriving home she remained afraid that ‘Vincent O’Donnell would enter my home and finish me off’.
For full story see next Tuesday’s Mayo News.