Man pleads guilty to trying to suffocate partner's elderly mum in nursing home, shouting 'die bitch, die!'

A father-of-two was "like a man possessed" when he attacked his partner's elderly mother in a nursing home, knelt on her and tried to suffocate her with a pillow while shouting, "Die bitch, die," a court heard.

The incident happened at the Sonas home, Ballymahon Road, Athlone, shortly before 8 pm on April 29, 2024.

The 84-year-old woman was attacked as she went to greet Peter Keaney with a hug.

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Keaney, 55, of Hillsidsympe Close, Monksland, Athlone, Roscommon, was drunk and told gardai afterwards that he was going to kill her, Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court heard yesterday afternoon.

The former carer and theatre worker pleaded guilty to two counts under the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act for assault causing harm, and attempting to suffocate the victim by holding a pillow across her face.

Judge Keenan Johnson described it as an extraordinary case and remarked, "As far as I'm concerned, it is unprecedented; I have never come across anything like it."

He said Keaney was "like a man possessed on the day in question". The court heard he got drunk on wine and was triggered by unsubstantiated abuse allegations.

The judge noted the guilty plea but said the offence, which can result in 10 years' imprisonment, would carry a significant sentence.

He directed the Probation Service to provide a report on Keaney and adjourned sentencing until December 5.

The accused, who did not address the court, was remanded on continuing bail with strict conditions.

Detective Garda Kevin Nerney agreed with prosecutor Cathal ó Braonáin BL, instructed by State solicitor for Westmeath, Matt Shaw, that the accused travelled six-and-a-half kilometres by bus and on foot to the nursing home to carry out the attack.

Nursing home staff "forced" their way into the pensioner's room and found she had suffered multiple injuries, including a deep laceration to her forehead.

The accused remained at the scene and told gardai, "I did it; I tried to kill her." The court heard his long-term partner was the victim's daughter.

The elderly woman had lived there since 2021, and her husband also had a separate room in the home.

Until that night, they had a great relationship.

The court heard that when "Peter Keaney came into her room, and she initially stood up to give him a hug."

However, he "hit her in the face with his fist, causing her to be stunned, and she asked, 'Peter, what is wrong?' But he kept hitting her and punched her onto a chair at the side of her bed."

The court heard he told the OAP, "You will live to regret it and put a pillow over her face. She was struggling to get air."

She slipped to the ground, where Keaney repeatedly kicked her in the head.

Just two days before the incident, the victim had spent time with him and her daughter; they had coffee and "had no issues with him, had a good laugh with him".

"She did not know why he did this," Detective Garda Nerney said.

Care workers outside heard him screaming, "Die bitch, die; die you fucking bitch. Get away from me. I wish you were dead."

Staff forced their way through the blocked door and saw her lying face down on the floor, "Keaney crouched over her, and there was a pillow covered with blood on the floor".

The court heard he then walked over to the bed, sat on it and waited until gardai arrived and arrested him.

En route to Athlone Garda station, "He made a number of comments in the patrol car and told gardai he wanted to kill her."

He admitted putting the pillow over her and told officers: "Yes, I wanted to kill her and will do it again; I wanted to kill her and will kill her," and he said he could not control himself and would do it again.

He also signed a Garda notebook, in which his comments were recorded.

The court heard he began drinking wine shortly after 11 am and had consumed four bottles before going to the nursing home, and he admitted that he had an alcohol problem.

He disclosed to gardai that he had suffered sexual abuse as a child and had gone to counselling for eight years.

He also maintained his partner had recently made allegations about a family member, but she and all her family have since told gardai that never happened.

However, he went to the nursing home in a "rage" against the elderly woman to punch her in the face.

And he told gardai he would have attacked her husband too, but he was in a room upstairs.

He admitted to gardai that he used his fist to hit her and when he "felt her go limp, I thought she was gone, thought I killed her after she went limp."

His partner of more than 30 years told gardai that Keaney was "bananas drunk" and that she had never disclosed anything negative or abuse allegations about her family, and she did not know why he said that or attacked her mother.

Her only sibling also confirmed to gardai they were never abused.

The court heard the victim needed nine stitches to her head and had bruises and a sore back from being knelt on as she struggled with the pillow on her face, which the pensioner described as "horrible".

She did not come to the hearing or provide a victim impact statement.

But the court heard she and her husband had enjoyed a close relationship for years with Keaney.

In 2005, the accused and his partner moved from Galway to Athlone to help care for them after her father was seriously injured in an accident and had to learn how to walk and talk again.

The detective agreed with Delia Flynn SC, defending, that the victim told gardai, "We all loved him", and she still did not know why he did this.

Counsel said the accused had been abused by a priest when he was a child and a discussion about an abusive priest "triggered" his memory.

The court heard he believed people were overly sympathetic to the clergy and did not have insight into what people suffered.

He had been going to counselling for his trauma and had also developed a binge drinking problem.

The court heard Keaney, who now lives in Dublin, had two previous convictions for driving without a licence or motor insurance.

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