Irish physicist in Portugal axe attack to appeal jail sentence
AN Irish physicist sentenced to seven years behind bars for attempting to murder a university lecturer with an axe is set to appeal.
Colin Gloster, 37, originally from Co. Meath, was sentenced to seven years and seven months to be served in a mental institution by a court in Coimbra in Portugal.
Former PhD student Gloster had denied trying to kill a female pro2014 fessor at an office in the University of Coimbra on August 4, 2014, following a row over his grant which had been terminated because he owed more than €5,000 in fees.
His father, John Gloster, a retired psychologist and former civil servant said he would be fully supporting the planned appeal by his son.
Gloster was ordered to pay damages of €50,000 to Professor Maria Filomena Figueiredo who suffered injuries to her left arm and right hand as she shielded herself in the attack. The appeal period is to last three weeks. If any appeal is not upheld, Gloster is expected to be transferred to a secure psychiatric unit to serve his sentence.
Gloster went to primary school in Ashbourne, Co. Meath, before attending Pobalscoil Rosmini, Gracepark Road, Drumcondra.
The academic, who studied at Dublin City University, previously served an internship at the European Space Agency and was a researcher at the University of Pisa, in Italy. He came to Coimbra with a scholarship in 2008. During the trial, the former doctoral student, who has autism, said he was ‘desperate, broke, hungry and afraid of becoming homeless’.
‘I aimed the hatchet at one of her arms. In an ideal situation, I wouldn’t use the hatchet, but reality isn’t ideal. I never tried to kill,’ he said. The defendant was also convicted of the crime of illicit recording.
Gloster had been charged with attempted first-degree murder. Clinical psychologist Pedro Alves told the court his actions could be attributed to Asperger’s syndrome – a form of autism – and that he was not ‘conscious of his actions’.
Denied trying to kill female professor