A woman suffered a horrific ordeal after a man sneaked into her home and tried to put a pillow over her face before stabbing her a number of times.
The attacker, who cannot be named, appeared at Letterkenny Circuit Court in Co Donegal, charged in connection with the brutal attack in July 2020.
The man had been barred from entering the house in the Oldtown area of Letterkenny just a few hours earlier.
But he returned and crept upstairs into the woman’s bedroom before launching into a sustained attack on the victim.
The woman told Gardai in her victim impact statement that she recognised the man entering her bedroom and asked “What the hell are you doing here?”
However, the attacker began stabbing her in the forehead and chest and said “I will kill you now.”
The woman realised blood was dripping from her forehead and said “I thought I was going to die.”
Details of the assault were given in court after the man pleaded guilty to a number of charges including assault causing harm, threatening to kill or cause harm, aggravated burglary and producing a weapon likely to cause serious injury.
The court heard how the women’s children were left terrified after being awoken during the ordeal.
The woman’s brave young son had even managed to help to stop the man from attacking his mother even more.
The man eventually left the house and Gardai arrived on the scene after they had received a ‘999’ call from the woman’s terrified son.
They followed a trail of blood from the kitchen of the house to 300 metres away in a field.
He was suffering from a number of self-inflicted stab wounds and was covered in blood.
The court was told that but for the quick intervention of Detective Garda Stephen McGonagle there could have been more serious consequences.
The attacker was taken to hospital and asked the detective why he had saved him.
Barrister for the accused, Mr Damian Crawford, said his client still had a key to the house and had not broken in.
This was disputed by the woman who said the doors had been locked on the night and said “I have no idea how he got it.”
Two of the women’s children still suffered from the ordeal and could not sleep without the lights being on.
The court was told the accused had been involved in the military and had a number of previous convictions.
Judge John Aylmer adjourned the case for final sentencing until October next to allow for a number of reports on the accused to be prepared for the court.