WHY WAS A THUG LIKE THIS FREE TO ATTACK MY FAMILY?
Psychiatrist’s fury at justice system after machete terror for his pregnant wife... by criminal on bail
A REPEAT criminal was out on bail for serious assault when he wielded a machete and threatened a psychiatrist returning home with his pregnant wife. Declan Sherlock, who already had 24 convictions, was originally jailed but that was overturned on appeal, and he skipped bail – leaving him at large to terrorise Dr Narayanan Subramanian and his wife Anju Sara Alex four days
before last Christmas Day. An angry Dr Subramanian hit out at the justice system yesterday, demanding to know why the rights of repeat offenders seemed more important than innocent victims like himself and his wife and unborn baby. The couple had just arrived home at 11.20pm after a scan for their first child when Sherlock struck with his 29cmblade machete. His previous convictions included assault and firearms offences.
In a victim impact statement, Dr Subramanian, said: ‘It baffles me to find out, after his criminal activcompassion ity, that this man had a few convictions in the past, was on bail, after being refused bail initially, and skipped bail a week earlier only to threaten to stab his innocent neighbours and steal their car to crash it.
‘Obviously, there is something not right with the criminal justice system and it appears that the rights of repeat offenders is more important than the safety and rights of the larger public and innocent victims like us.’
The consultant psychiatrist said he understood that first-time offenders should be treated with but added: ‘I cannot understand how a repeat offender like this man would be able to roam freely after a few convictions, pending criminal charges in the courts only to commit more crimes.’ He said: ‘This man made one of the best days of our lives, after the scan of our unborn on that day, into one of the worst we could ever imagine.’
Sherlock was high on Xanax when he demanded Dr Subramanian’s keys and crashed his car while being pursued by gardaí.
The criminal lived in the estate in Ennis, Co. Clare, as the couple and Ms Alex, who is a nurse, said in her statement that the threat ‘to my life, my husband’s and our unborn baby is unspeakable’.
Traumatised by the event, the couple fled their home. She said: ‘It would possibly take me years to get over the psychological impact of the threat and of knowing this man is supposed to be behind bars for not complying with bail conditions.’ Sherlock pleaded guilty to nine separate charges from the incident including hijacking the car, threatening to kill Dr Subramanian, at the Dromard housing estate, Lahinch Road, Ennis, criminal damage, having a weapon and dangerous driving.
His previous convictions include: one for assault and unlawfully taking a car; ten under the Theft Act; four for firearms and offensive weapons; three unauthorised taking of cars and five traffic.
Dr Subramanian said: ‘To flee our house on the eve of Christmas only to desperately look for another house to live, buy another car for work and take leave from work due to the stress caused by this man’s callousness for our life and property, and worry about the safety of your wife and unborn child, is impossible to describe.’
During the case, Garda Noelle Bergin agreed that prosecutors didn’t make a case that Ms Alex and her unborn baby were threatened, and Sherlock’s barristerPatrick Whyms said there was no evidence of a threat against Ms Alex. Judge Gerald Keys remanded Sherlock in continuing custody to October for sentence.
Something wrong with the system
FOR years this newspaper has been highlighting the ease with which serial criminals are being allowed out on bail – often going on to commit appalling crime when they should have been locked up. We are repeatedly told by the politicians that the problem is being addressed: and yet today we read of eminent psychiatrist Dr Narayanan Subramanian, who saw his pregnant wife attacked by a machete-wielding thug who had been set free on bail.
Dr Subramanian’s words speak for themselves: ‘It appears the rights of repeat offenders is more important than the safety and rights of the larger public and innocent victims like us.’ And he added: ‘I cannot understand how a repeat offender like this man would be able to roam freely after a few convictions, pending criminal charges in the courts only to commit more crimes.’
We cannot understand it either – and nor can the public. The Justice Minister must now step in and put an end to this scandal: if he fails to, the next time a terrible crime is committed by someone who should have been in jail but was freed on bail, the public will hold him responsible.