SEAN WALSH FROM KILKENNY SENTENCED FOR BRUTAL STABBING AND ATTEMPTED MURDER

In a harrowing case that shocked the community of Kilkenny, Sean Walsh was sentenced to a total of fifteen years in prison for a violent and unprovoked attack on his pregnant partner. The incident, which took place in November 2004, involved a series of brutal assaults that left the victim severely injured and her young daughter traumatized.

According to court records, Walsh, a 25-year-old originally from Wigan but residing in Kilkenny at the time, had taken his pregnant girlfriend to see the horror film 'The Grudge' on the evening of November 8, 2004. The movie, which depicts a husband strangling his wife and child, appeared to have a disturbing influence on Walsh, as the following hours saw him commit a violent act that would forever change the lives of those involved.

Shortly after the movie, the woman awoke to a terrifying scene: Walsh was attempting to suffocate her by pressing a pillow over her face. The assault escalated as he also slashed her with a knife multiple times, head-butted her, and inflicted serious injuries. During the chaos, a three-year-old girl, who was in the house, was found unconscious with a pair of pink trousers tied around her neck. The woman believed her daughter was dead at the scene, and the child's injuries included a fractured left elbow and bite marks across her body.

Walsh, who had been in custody since 2004, pleaded guilty to charges of assault causing serious harm to his partner and endangering the life of the young girl at the same residence and on the same date. His defense lawyer, John Peart, SC, argued that Walsh suffers from behavioral dysfunction and psychiatric difficulties, emphasizing that the attack was completely unpremeditated. Peart explained that Walsh could describe his actions but could not explain the reasons behind them.

The court heard that Walsh had a disturbing history of violent fantasies, including plans to follow people at night with a knife. He had admitted to a psychiatrist feeling a sense of relief and a 'buzz' after committing the assault. Detective Garda Luke Kelly recounted that Walsh had attempted to evade arrest by swimming across the River Nore twice when police arrived at the scene. He was eventually apprehended at Kilkenny Castle Park after fleeing from officers.

The victim, still visibly traumatized, bore injuries to her neck from the knife slashes, which, if properly treated, would require plastic surgery. Judge Olive Buttimer emphasized the gravity of the case, noting that the relationship between Walsh and his partner was not tumultuous and that no alcohol or drugs were involved in the incident. She pointed out Walsh's elaborate violent fantasies and his apparent enjoyment or excitement following the attack.

In her sentencing, Judge Buttimer ordered Walsh to serve ten years for causing serious harm to Ms. O’Carroll and an additional five years for endangering the young girl. Both sentences are to run consecutively and are backdated to the date Walsh was first taken into custody.

Adding a bizarre twist to the case, in 2006, Walsh claimed that his real identity was that of the notorious child killer Robert Thompson, and he was transferred to Ireland under a false identity issued by an English court. Guards at Wheatfield Prison in Dublin placed him under 24-hour surveillance due to fears he might be attacked by other inmates. However, subsequent investigations with UK authorities dismissed his claim of being Robert Thompson, confirming his true identity and background.