A GANG rapist has been acquitted by a jury at Limerick Circuit Court of stabbing a man in front of his three year old son in 2010.
24-year-old Thomas O’Neill, the father of one child with April Collins and an address at The Meadows, Murroe, Limerick, had been charged with assault causing harm on Sean Finnan, the possession of a knife and threatening Sean Finnan in December, 2010.
Denying the allegation before the court, Thomas O’Neill had been charged with co-accused Mark Barry, 22, of Garryglass Avenue, Ballinacurra Weston who also pleaded not guilty. Finnan claimed that O’Neill slashed him on the back and hand with a Stanley knife
The State’s case rested on the evidence of 25-year-old Mr Finnan of Hyde Avenue who claimed that he was assaulted by both individuals in front of his three-year-old son.
During the trial, Mr Finnan denied that he had “fitted up” Thomas O’Neill after being stabbed by others who said he “ratted out” drug dealers in the area.
The case against Mark Barry of assault causing harm to Sean Finnan and the possession of a knife were struck out as the court heard there was no evidence against the accused as Finnan said he saw Barry approaching him but could not identify if he had played any part in the attack.
In 2004, Thomas O’Neill, when he was just 15, was said to have been the “ringleader” in a vicious attack on a woman in Cratloe woods when she was gang raped by five men while her boyfriend was locked in the car boot. O’Neill was given a 10-year sentence for his part in the attack.
The jury in last week’s trial took just 40 minutes to return a unanimous not guilty verdict to the court in acquitting Thomas O’Neill of the assault charges before the court.
