Man jailed at Derry Crown Court for horrific attack on disabled man
Brian O’Hagan, 27, from Beragh Hill Road, Derry, punched and kicked his victim in the face during the robbery on October 24, 2018.
The man, who has spina bifida and epilepsy and uses a wheelchair, suffered a fractured eye socket.
O’Hagan, who admitted robbery, will serve 39 months in prison and the same on supervised licence by the Probation Servince on his release from jail.
Sentencing at Derry Crown Court, Judge Philip Babington described the robbery as “an appalling incident perpetrated on a disabled person living alone”.
The BBC reports that the court heard on Tuesday the victim told police two men had come to the door of his flat, stating they were from the ‘INLA’ and claiming to have a gun.
They knocked the victim’s wheelchair over before kicking and punching him.
The men demanded money and his bank card which he refused to hand over.
The court was told O’Hagan kicked his victim several times in the face and body during the robbery and said he was from the ‘IRA’.
A woman who was in the victim’s home at the time told the man to “let them do what they want, if they do what they want they won’t hurt you”.
He later managed to call the police and cowardly O’Hagan was arrested fleeing the scene.
Police recovered the victim’s mobile phone and money during a search of the defendant’s home, the court was told.
The victim’s blood was also found on O’Hagan’s shoes.
The judge was told the defendant had 39 previous convictions, six of them for theft.
Sentencing, the judge said not only was violence threatened but it was used.
“The offending is aggravated by the fact that the injured party was quite significantly disabled and was confined to a wheelchair,” he said.
It appears that he was kicked without mercy whilst he was lying helpless on the ground on several occasions.
“It is in many ways difficult to think of a more vulnerable injured party.
“Although his injuries were serious they could have been very much worse,” added Judge Babington.
