‘A pain worse than death’
Dad, 40, who lost eye in acid attack tells of trauma as attacker is jailed
A Dad-of-three who lost an eye as a result of an acid attack has described the pain as being worse than death.
Francis Costello was doused in a strong solution of caustic soda after he answered the door at his Cork home on March 4, 2022.
The 40-year-old had to give up his job in retail and has been told by medics they may be unable to fit a prosthesis because his eye socket is so badly scarred.
This week at Cork Circuit Criminal Court John Paul Carey, 36, was jailed for 10 years for the chemical attack on Francis who suffered burns to his face.
Carey pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm to Francis at Connolly Road in Ballyphehane, contrary to Section 4 of the Non-fatal Offences Against the Person Act.
ASSAULT
He also admitted assault causing harm to Francis’ two brothers, John and Roy, at the same location and date contrary to Section 3 of the Nonfatal Offences Against the Person Act.
Francis said he would never get over the attack which left him suicidal as he tried to come to terms with his injuries.
He told the Irish Sunday Mirror: “I remember everything, I remember the trauma of that night.
“I had to be hosed down at the scene by the fire service.
“In the hospital they asked me to go in for a shower to get as much of it off me as they could.
“As soon as the water hit me I was in agony all over again, I was screaming ‘stop, stop’.
“That night I was sitting in the front room with my two brothers, we were watching the darts.
“The doorbell went and I opened the door and he was standing there. I was shocked, I was static.
Within seconds I was screaming in pain.
“When I was on the ground all I can remember is the burning, and him punching and kicking me.
“It was like, it’s hard to put into words... the burning in my face and head and eyes was getting worse by the second.
“If I had to relive that pain over again I’d rather be killed instantly. It will to my grave with me.”
Francis’ brother John now has only 90% vision in his right eye and 80% in his left.
Roy, who was left with serious scars on his arms and harms from the corrosive liquid thrown at him, has
All I can remember is the burning and him punching
set up a Gofundme for his sibling. Francis spent almost two weeks in hospital and underwent several rounds of plastic surgery on his face and head. But doctors had to remove his left eye. He revealed: “I had multiple procedures and surgeries to try to save the eye, even though I knew it was gone
the first day I looked in the mirror. Summer last year I was told there was no more they could do, I got the eye removed in October 2022.
“There was a huge grieving process in that I thought when they took out the eye I’d get a prosthesis.
“But because there’s so much scarring around the eye socket they’re not sure can fit one.
“It’s a 50:50 chance, they will have to take tissue from somewhere else to rebuild the socket.” Cork Circuit Criminal Court heard Carey has 99 previous convictions including convictions for armed robbery, drug possession and assault.
PRISON
Judge James Mccourt imposed a 10-year prison term with the final six months suspended, backdated to
April 18, 2022, when Carey was taken into custody.
Francis said: “Will I ever get over it? I don’t think so, mentally, emotionally, psychologically and physically I’m scarred for life.
“It’s unacceptable what happened to me, you wouldn’t do it to an animal. No matter how long he got it was never going to be long enough for me.”