Athlete who has no arms stabbed dad with scissors held in toes
A DISABLED athlete with no arms who stabbed his father with scissors held between his toes has been spared jail.
Rory O’Connor slashed his father’s stomach with the blade using his right foot.
Born without arms, the 23-yearold had learned to use his feet for everyday tasks. Andrew Davies, defending, said O’Connor had achieved 12 GCSEs at a mainstream school and swam in international competitions through Disability Sport Wales.
But he began carrying a blade for his own protection after being threatened on a country walk.
Following an argument with his father, Kevin, about him carrying the weapon he picked up the scissors and lashed out, leaving him in need of major surgery.
But O’Connor walked free after his father told a judge at Cardiff Crown Court the attack would not stop him supporting his son, and that his main concern was his wellbeing.
Matthew Roberts, prosecuting, said O’Connor was born with no arms as well as a number of other medical conditions. The court heard he was able to carry out a ‘range of activities with his feet, such as washing himself’.
But his parents were ‘concerned and frustrated’ about him carrying the weapon, which led to the confrontation with his father.
Mr Roberts said Mr O’Connor picked up a yard-long tube from a vacuum cleaner and prodded his son in the chest. O’Connor then ‘struck out’ with his foot, slashing his father in the abdomen with the scissor blade.
He needed ‘ serious medical intervention, including surgery, to treat the perforation wound’.
O’Connor, of Whitchurch, Cardiff, admitted wounding on the basis his actions were reckless rather than intentional.
His father described the incident as ‘regrettable’ but said it had given him a greater insight into
‘He has so much more to offer’
the difficulties his son was experiencing. He said he did not want the assault, which took place last November, to be a ‘defining negative moment’ of his son’s life ‘as he has so much more to offer’.
Mr Davies said: ‘ His family described him as a brave and intelligent young man.’ But the barrister said O’Connor had developed depression during his late teens because of problems at home. He said his client was ‘devastated’ about the incident and that the Probation Service concluded that O’Connor ‘cannot be judged by normal standards’.
He added that his client would welcome the chance to do unpaid work as part of a communitybased sentence as it would allow him to gain some independence and meet new people.
Judge Philip Harris-Jenkins said O’Connor was a ‘ remarkable young man’ who had ‘risen above’ his significant disabilities.
He added that the combination of his ‘depression, friction at home and an incident outside’ caused O’Connor to make an ‘unwise decision’ and sentenced him to a 12-month community order with 100 hours of unpaid work and a rehabilitation course.