Man jailed for 'outrageous' daylight attack in Cork where man was slashed 20 times

Olivia Kelleher

A man who made up to 20 attempts to ”slash and stab” another man in a frenzied knife attack which occurred in broad daylight in front of shoppers and young girls in Cork city centre has been jailed for three and a half years.

Cork Circuit Criminal Court heard that the victim in the case Gavin Sheehan (38) had to undergo emergency surgency on his upper back following the attack on September 6th, 2024.

Aaron Bohane (25) of no fixed abode pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Mr Sheehan at Oliver Plunkett Street in Cork city centre on September 6th, 2024. He also pleaded guilty to producing an article capable of inflicting serious injury — namely a bladed object.

Det Garda Conor Cronin said that Bohane acted like the attack was a “badge of honour.” He said that the injured party was walking along Oliver Plunkett Street short after 5pm on September 6th, 2024.

He stated that Mr Bohane was in a doorway on the street while a man with him was acting as a lookout. The look out gave Aaron Bohane a gesture.

Mr Bohane then removed a silver-coloured knife from the waistband of his pants and viciously assaulted Mr Sheehan from behind. Over the course of just 16 seconds he attempted to stab and slash him Sheehan up to twenty times.

His accomplice then struck Sheehan over the head with a glass bottle. The injured party sustained serious lacerations to his head, arms and back and was taken to Cork University Hospital for treatment. He required surgery as the lacerations exposed muscle on his back.

Mr Sheehan was initially treated for his injuries at the scene by a third year medical student who went to his assistance after he rushed in to the nearby Bean and Leaf café covered in blood.

Det Garda Cronin told Judge Helen Boyle that the busy city centre street was “awash with of the public’ during the attack.

“He (Bohane) showed a complete disregard for public safety. There was a trail of blood going in to Bean and Leaf. People had never seen anything like this before.”

Det Garda Cronin said that the attack was witnessed by amongst others a mother with her small baby and two fourteen year old schoolgirls.

One witness told gardaí that it looked like the pair were wrestling on the ground. Judge Boyle was shown CCTV of the incident including footage of a seriously injured Sheehan running in to the café looking for help.

Mr Bohane was arrested the day after the attack. He made issions to gardai. However, he insisted that Sheehan had made threats to the mother of his child.

Det Garda Cronin said that Bohane was originally from Ballincollig in Co Cork and had worked in construction in the UK. He has four previous convictions for district court offences such as intoxication. He has never been before the circuit court.

Mr Sheehan has fully recovered from his injuries. A victim impact statement was handed in to Judge Boyle for her consideration in relation to sentencing.

Niamh Stewart, BL, representing Mr Bohane said that her client did not have a history of violence. Ms Stewart said that the injured party in the case was “known to gardai.” She said that the attack occurred after a threat was made to the mother of Mr Bohane’s child.

However, Ms Stewart said that her client was “extremely remorseful” for his “out of character” actions. She added that he was homeless at the time and using drugs. She urged Judge Boyle to “give him (Bohane) a chance and light at the end of the tunnel.”

Judge Boyle said that it was a “completely outrageous attack” on a sunny Autumnal day when citizens and visitors to Cork were “relaxing and having coffee and eating ice creams.

She said that attack was “premeditated, targeted and cowardly” in nature. She praised the medical student who had come to the aid of the injured party. Judge Boyle said that there was no evidence that any threat had been made to Bohane.

“You have some purported motive but there is no evidence of that. Even if there was you should have reported it to An Garda Siochana.”

Judge Boyle jailed Bohane for 4.5 years suspending the last 12 months of the sentence.