In the space of a week two men were sent to jail for violent knife attacks perpetrated against women, one in Kerry and one in Dublin.
One of the victims, Amadea McDermott, lost her life in the attack while the other woman – who has not been named – suffered life-threatening injuries.
Ms. McDermott’s partner, Martin Hayes, was jailed for her manslaughter after having initially claimed that the abdominal stab wound that claimed Amadea’s life was self inflicted.
During the trial Hayes admitted to using a hidden app to track and spy on the contents of Amadea’s phone with the sentencing judge remarking that Hayes was “violent in language and action” towards her.
Judge McDermott said Hayes had shown ‘no remorse’ for his crime.
He was sentenced to 12 and a half years in prison by Justice Paul McDermott for Amadea’s manslaughter at her home on Rathvale Drive, Ayrfield, Coolock, in July 2017.
Slovakian, Robert Bily, had only been in Ireland five weeks when he stabbed a woman 9 times in what was described as an ‘opportunistic attack’ at an apartment in Tralee, County Kerry on the 7th of August 2022.
The woman had been watching Netflix alone in her apartment when Bily set upon her with the victim saying he demanded sex while repeatedly stabbing her.
Radio Kerry reported that the kitchen knife used in the attack was damaged by the force of his stabbing.
After stabbing the woman on her bed, Bily locked her in her bathroom, having stolen her phone and leaving her unable to call for help.
Sitting at Tralee District Court, Judge Sinead Behan sentenced 20 year old Bily to 18 years imprisonment, but reduced this to 13 years due to mitigation factors with the final two years suspended.