*Photograph: John Mangan
A 27 year old man told his mother, “I am going to kill Benson” before repeatedly stabbing the woman’s “beloved” ten year old Pug dog with a knife.
At Ennis Circuit Court, Garda Conor Langan said that Jason Burke of Cnoc na Scoile, Kilrush Rd, Ennis and formerly of Shannon, stabbed Benson seven times in the neck and back and had to be euthanised by a vet shortly after the dog attack on July 11th because of the injuries sustained during the incident at Cnoc na Scoile on Ennis’s Kilrush Rd.
Garda Langan said that when he arrived at Summerhill Veterinary Clinic in Ennis shortly after mid-day on July 11th where Mr Burke and his mother had taken Benson, he said that he noticed “blood spatters on Mr Burke’s face” while his mother “had bruising and swelling to her face” as Benson lay dead on the operating table after being euthanised.
Garda Langan said that Gardaí recovered from Mr Burke’s bag a large Rambo style 10 inch knife and a smaller 3 inch flick knife.
In her statement to Gardai, Mr Burke’s mother said that earlier that morning at their home, Jason Burke turned on her and grabbed her by the hair and arms and threw her around like a rag doll.
The woman told the court that Benson then came and started barking and she said that she was terrified as her son would not calm down.
She said that her son was picking Benson up and throwing him over the banister and kicking her, punching her and throwing her on the ground.
She said that Mr Burke said, “I am going to kill Benson”.
The woman told Gardaí that Mr Burke ran downstairs calling Benson and he located Benson who was hiding and then proceeded to use the knife on Benson.
Counsel for the State, Lorcan Connolly BL (instructed by State Solicitor, Aisling Casey) said that the woman “described how the event was traumatic as Benson was her beloved dog”.
In her victim impact statement, Mr Burke’s mother told Judge Francis Comerford that she recognises that what occurred on July 11th last “was a psychotic episode and I forgive my son”.
The woman said to Judge Comerford that she would be grateful that her son “would get treatment rather than prison time”.
She said that he is an intelligent young man and has a lot of potential if he was given suitable ongoing treatment for his mental health issues.
In the case, Mr Burke has pleaded guilty to an animal cruelty charge where he stabbed his mother’s dog with a large knife on July 11th last which led to the dog being euthanized.
Mr Burke has also pleaded guilty to the assault causing harm to his mother on the same date contrary to Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act.
Mr Burke has also entered a third guilty plea to having a knife in his possession which had a blade which was sharply pointed, contrary to Sections 1 and 7 of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990 at Summerhill Veterinary Clinic, Summerhill, Ennis.
Garda Langan said that Mr Burke has 11 previous convictions, has a history of mental illness and previously lived in Shannon.
Garda Langan agreed with counsel for Mr Burke, Aaron Desmond BL (instructed by solicitor, John Casey) that Mr Burke appeared as pale and shaken at the vets, asked the staff to help the dog and appeared as vulnerable during Garda interview.
Mr Desmond said that his client has entered an early plea of guilt in the case.
Mr Desmond said that a psychiatric report on Mr Burke will form part of his plea of mitigation and is not yet ready.
Mr Burke has been on remand in custody on the charges since last July and Judge Comerford further remanded him in custody for sentencing in July.
