‘Every parent’s worst nightmare’

SCENE OF THE CRIME An early morning jogger on St Patrick’s Day surveys the crime scene where 16-year-old Henry Newham was found the previous evening. The youth is still in Intensive Care in Mayo General Hospital.?Pic: Michael McLaughlin

‘Every parent’s worst nightmare’


16 year old still in ICU after Greenway stabbing

Neill O’Neill
neilloneill@mayonews.ie

THE father of a 16 year old who was stabbed in the back on the Greenway in Westport on Saturday night has described the event as ‘every parent’s worst nightmare’. Henry Newham remains in a critical but stable condition in the Intensive Care Unit of Mayo General Hospital, and is likely to remain there for some time. His spleen was removed in emergency surgery in the early hours of Sunday morning. He is now off life support, but doctors are keeping him in a state of semi-sedation to control his pain and aid his recovery.
Gardaí have been unable to speak to Henry, a fifth-year student in Rice College in Westport, but are investigating the circumstances that led to the incident, which occurred around 11pm. It is believed Henry was going to a friend’s house, and was on his own, when he was set upon.
His father, Ian, a highly regarded member of Westport Town Council’s garden staff, told The Mayo News that there was a lot of force used in the attack, and that Henry, while critically injured, was extremely lucky to be alive. The knife bruised his liver, and was millimeters away from killing him. He also received a slash wound to his forearm, an injury likely sustained as he tried to shield himself from his attackers.
Three teenagers, none of whom is believed to be local, were arrested over the weekend and questioned by gardaí in Westport. One of them is thought to have absconded from HSE care recently, and is known to the Gardaí. They were later released from custody and files are being prepared for the DPP.
Investigations are ongoing and further arrests cannot be ruled out.
However, anyone who noticed anything unusual in the High Street, Elms, John’s Row or Greenway areas of the town on Saturday night is being asked to contact the Gardaí in Westport. The knife believed to have been used in the incident was recovered near the scene.
A number of incidents, alleged to have occurred in the locality in the hours before the stabbing, are being investigated, though the Gardaí cannot be definitive about the circumstances of the attack until they get a chance to speak to the victim.
“All we know is that he thought he had been punched at first, and he got away from his attackers, before collapsing up at the bridge on High Street,” Ian said. “As a parent, it’s your worst nightmare to get that call. You expect your children to be able to go out to meet their friends but to come home. You’d never expect it in Westport. Henry knows lots of people in Westport but he gets on with everyone. It all seems very random, it could have been anybody, but you don’t go around carrying knives – nobody should be doing that.”

Outrage
Henry is a talented sports star. He played on the Mayo’s U-16 hurling team last season and plays sports both in Rice College and at Westport GAA Club. He was a member of the Rice College rugby team that won the Connacht Junior Cup last year. The attack on the young man has sparked outrage in the community, with people reeling all weekend that such violence could be perpetrated on the streets of Westport or The Greenway, a recreational amenity that has been a hugh success for the town.
Cathaoirleach of Westport Town Council, Cllr Ollie Gannon, said that all local people are behind the Newham family at this tough time, and are keeping them in their thoughts and prayers. He described the attack as ‘sinister’ and said it was shocking that this had happened in a town where so many people work in unity for the benefit of the overall community.
His colleague, Cllr Christy Hyland, said that he was ‘pulling his hair out banging on about CCTV’. “The money is there, what are we waiting for? Let’s install the cameras and have a deterrent to crime that will help keep our streets safe,” he said.

Similar attack
Last Saturday’s attack bears similarities to another incident in Westport, which occurred in August 2009, when Garda Daryl Mullen was stabbed three times in the abdomen on James Street. His life was saved by the prompt actions of his colleagues, who rushed him in a squad car to Mayo General Hospital, where he also underwent emergency surgery and had his spleen removed. His assailant, a local juvenile, was sentenced to five years’ detention in 2010.
Shortly after he was stabbed on Saturday night, Henry Newham managed to stumble towards the bridge at the top of High Street where he collapsed and was found by a local man. The emergency services were called and Gardaí, including the ERU, who happened to be patrolling in Westport that night, arrived rapidly at the scene, while an ambulance that was travelling from Galway to Castlebar at the time was diverted immediately to Westport. As in 2009, the actions of gardaí and those who tended to Henry after he collapsed have been credited with helping to save his life, as he was bleeding heavily when found.
The Newham family have been inundated with messages of support since Saturday night, and wish to express their gratitude to everybody for their ‘immense’ kindness and goodwill, and to those who helped Henry after he was attacked.

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