“I HOPE he pulls through” was the response of a County Limerick man when he was charged with punching a father-of-two, knocking him out, cracking his skull and leaving him in an induced coma for six weeks.
James Corbett (23) of Sharwood Estate, Newcastle West assaulted Sean Ambrose (34) of Mountcollins outside a Newcastle West takeaway and delivering three more blows while his victim lay helpless in the ground.
They had exchanged words while out drinking on August 24, 2015 met again later that night after being at a night club.
There was a brief exchange before Corbett, a 6ft 2in club rugby player, punched Ambrose, knocking him unconscious. The back of his head hit the road and he suffered a fracture from the base of his skull to over his right ear.
In a victim impact statement read to Limerick Circuit Court last week after Corbett pleaded guilty to to a charge of assault causing serious harm, Sean Ambrose said, “I was hit so hard that my brain bounced from side to side inside in my head and then swelled.
“My life changed dramatically forever. I was put in a medically induced coma to save my life and then operated on my head to relieve the pressure. I literally had no memory of the event for up to six months afterwards
“The surgeons opened my skull to stop my brain swelling. I was shown pictures and I still can’t believe it was me. It was difficult and upsetting for my family.
“I cry almost every night. The chronic headaches drove me mad and everything really affected my relationship as my moods are so changeable. I missed my daughter’s first day at school.”
He added that he has lost significant amount of his sense smell, taste as well as complete numbness to the right side of his head.
“I’m no longer the person who I was”, Mr Ambrose said as he thanked all the medical staff who helped save his life.
Detective Garda Eric O’Shea said that CCTV footage showed the two men interacting before Mr Ambrose was knocked to the ground with the initial punch and then hit three more time while he was on the ground.
After being treated at the scene and in University Hospital Limerick, he was transferred to Cork University Hospital where he remained in intensive care for six weeks and was operated on a number of times.
He has since received speech and occupational therapy as well as physiotherapy but has described the trauma as “hell”. He hasn’t yet been able to return to his profession as a lorry driver and suffers from memory loss as a result of the injury to his brain.
The court heard that Corbett had given up alcohol and when he was tols his victim was in an induced coma, he said “I’m sorry I hope he comes out of it”.
Prosecution Counsel Michael Collins said that Director of Public Prosecutions said that the “offence lies on the serious end of the scale of assault”.
During the sentence hearing before Judge Tom O’Donnell a number of character witnesses told of how remorseful Corbett was and how he changed his life. He was described as a hard working man who had communication and learning difficulties in early life.
Defence Counsel Andrew Sexton SC handed in a 12 page booklet of material in support of the accused and told the court that a €20,000 loan had been taken out and the money was ready to pass on to the victim by way of compensation.
Judge O’Donnell said that he wanted to consider all the evidence and read all the reports before adjourned sentencing to March 29.
