The Daily Star Ireland
A man has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for assaulting and attempting to suffocate his partner’s elderly mother at a nursing home earlier this year.
Peter Keaney, 55, from Hillside Close, Monksland, Athlone, Co Roscommon, admitted to charges of assault causing harm and attempted suffocation at Sonas Nursing Home in Athlone last April.
Mullingar Circuit Court heard that Keaney consumed four bottles of wine on the day of the incident and arrived at the nursing home around 8 PM on April 29.
The 85-year-old victim approached Keaney with a hug, but he responded by hitting her in the face and continued to assault her. He then forced her onto a chair by her bed, saying, “you will live to regret it,” and placed a pillow over her face. As she fell to the ground, Keaney repeatedly kicked her in the head.
Care workers, alerted by the commotion, forced their way into the room and found the woman face down on the floor with multiple injuries and blood on the floor. Keaney then sat on the bed and waited for the gardaí to arrive, admitting to the assault when they did.
The court heard that the victim needed nine stitches to her head and suffered bruises and back pain from being knelt on. She described the experience as “horrible” but did not attend the hearing or provide a victim impact statement.
Detective Garda Kevin Nerney testified that Keaney revealed he wanted to kill the woman and that he had been motivated by a mistaken belief that she had facilitated abuse of his partner. Keaney also shared that he had been sexually abused as a child and had undergone eight years of counseling.
The court learned that Keaney and his partner had a close relationship with the victim and her husband for many years. In 2005, Keaney and his partner moved from Galway to Athlone to help care for them after the victim’s husband was seriously injured.
In court, Keaney expressed remorse, calling the incident an “awful, awful act” that he could not explain or rationalize, stating that he was not normally violent.
Judge Keenan Johnson described the case as extraordinary and shocking, noting that Keaney appeared “like a man possessed” during the attack. He acknowledged the tragedy for all involved, highlighting the previously good relationship between Keaney and the victim.
The judge condemned the violence in a care home setting, recognizing the trauma experienced by the victim, her family, and the nursing home staff. He noted that Keaney had traveled over 6 km to the care home, indicating the premeditated nature of the assault.
However, Judge Johnson considered Keaney’s early guilty plea, his full admission to gardaí, his history of childhood sexual abuse, alcohol abuse, and distorted thinking at the time of the assault. He also acknowledged that Keaney had no prior convictions.
The judge commended the victim’s resilience, hoping she could move past the ordeal, and praised Keaney’s partner, who found herself in a difficult position. He also lauded the nursing home staff for their quick response.
Keaney was sentenced to four and a half years in prison, with the final 12 months suspended.
