by Andrew Carey
A CONVICTED amputee is to give himself up to the the Governor of Limerick Prison this Halloween after a sentencing judge postponed jailing him to allow him get a spare prosthetic leg ahead of serving a two year prison sentence for stabbing his friend at the house party on New Years Day three years ago.
Vincent Leamy (42), originally from Castleconnell but with an address in Pineview Gardens, Moyross, admitted assault causing serious harm to his friend through multiple stab wounds including a laceration to the kidney.
Judge Carroll Moran heard that Leamy was invited to a New Year house party with friends but a dispute developed between the two men in the kitchen of the injured party’s home.
Offensive comments were made and the defendant said that he was jealous of the lifestyle of his friend.
The dispute escalated and Leamy stabbed his friend in the cheek, upper neck, hand and abdomen when he was asked to leave the house.
The injured man went to bed unaware of the extent of his injuries but he was taken to hospital the next morning when his partner noticed the blood and wounds infliced the previous night.
The stab wound to his abdomen had caused a laceration to his kidney and Judge Moran said it was lucky for both the injured party and the accused that the extent of the injuries was not much more serious”.
Having adjourned the case for a year to see if Leamy could stay out of trouble and off drink and drugs, Judge Moran was told that the accused man had three serious convictions for drug offences in the meantime.
Defence Counsel Brian McInerney argued that there was no evidence before the court that his client had taken drugs but Judge Moran said he was “peddling” drugs.
Mr McInerney said his client, who has a prosthetic limb, has his “own medical difficulties in life that burden him on a daily basis”.
Judge Moran said the use of knives in a dispute was “quite unacceptable” and can have catastrophic consequences.
Imposing a three year sentence, Judge Moran suspended the final year and agreed to defer the sentence for one week, given Mr Leamy’s medical needs.
Leamy gave an undertaking to present himself at the gates of Limerick Prison at 1pm on October 31.
