A Corkman has been jailed for ten years for a frenzied knife attack on a family last Christmas which almost killed a woman and injured her three children.
54 year old Thomas O'Sullivan pleaded guilty to a total of five charges arising out of the incident when he broke into a house in Montenotte on December 23rd.
He pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm to a 47 year old woman and assault causing harm to her two daughters and ten year old son.
Following the attack Thomas O'Sullivan emerged from the house and shouted "Do ye remember me now - was it worth 25 grand" and stood at the door and began laughing.
The court heard the "25,grand" was a reference to a civil action taken by one of the woman's daughters against O'Sullivan after he assaulted her in 2012.
Judge Sean O Donnabhain said the level of planning, breaking into a family home and attacking all the family members at Christmas time were all aggravating factors.
However the fact he had pleaded guilty and spared his victims the trauma of having to give very distressing evidence in a trial was a mitigating factor.
He said he believed the appropriate sentence was 12 years but he suspended the final two years on condition he stay away from the family forever.
