The lack of an adequate compensation scheme for victims of crime in Ireland has been branded “an absolute disgrace” by a judge.
Sergeant Kieran Shortall told the court that Ms Ryan was able to tell Gardaí that Hanway, with whom she had previously been in an on-off relationship, was the intruder. The court heard Hanway denied any role in the incident after he was arrested by Gardaí and claimed he was in a cousin’s home in Dublin at the time, although he accepted he was in Portlaoise a short time earlier. Sergeant Shortall said the accused also maintained he had an alibi witness.
Ms Ryan said she required medication and counselling after the events of that night eight years ago. “I don’t think the fear will ever leave me completely,” she added. In a separate victim impact statement, Mr Kenny said he still carried the trauma of the day he was stabbed but could not understand how any human being could push a knife into another person. The court heard he experienced nightmares about having his hands pressed to his stomach with blood flowing through his fingers.