SHOCKING | 

Wexford man needs facial reconstruction surgery after Tesco car park hammer attack

“If he didn’t get to the hospital within five or ten minutes, we could have been looking at a fatality. He’s lucky to be alive”

Wexford People

Yesterday at 16:50

A Wexford man is awaiting major facial reconstructive surgery and is likely to have lasting damage after he was allegedly attacked with a hammer in the car park of a Wexford town supermarket.

Neil Kennedy was in his car in Tesco car park at around 10.30pm on October 3, when he was allegedly set upon by a man armed with a hammer.

A friend was also in the car and was also alleged to have been hit around the legs and ankles.

Despite this, Neil’s friend rushed him to Wexford General Hospital immediately, where the extent of his injuries quickly became apparent.

“Thankfully, he got to the hospital quickly,” his wife Rachel Davis said. “If he didn’t get there within five or ten minutes, we could have been looking at a fatality. He’s lucky to be alive.”

Neil was subsequently transferred to St James’s Hospital in Dublin, where he was placed into an induced coma.

Having emerged from the coma, the construction worker has undergone a series of tests and x-rays and is currently awaiting major reconstructive surgery on his face, while a week after the incident doctors are still waiting for swelling to go down to establish any lasting impacts.

“They said he was more like somebody who had been through a car crash and gone through a windscreen than somebody who had been assaulted,” Rachel said.

“He’ll need reconstructive surgery on his nose. They’ll have to take cartilage out of his legs and rebuild his nose. Then he’ll have his jaw wired shut for a minimum of six to eight weeks.

“He’ll also need metal plates inserted into both sides of his face and some reconstruction work on his eye sockets. We’ll have to wait and see if there’s any permanent sight damage or speech damage.”

Rachel says doctors are waiting to see if there’s been any brain injury and that, while she spoke to Neil by phone once since the attack, they now communicate via text as doctors don’t want him talking at the moment.

Wexford gardaí confirmed that a man aged in his 40s had been arrested in relation to the incident and was brought before the court on October 6. He was bailed with conditions and a file is currently being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. No weapon has been recovered.

Statements have been taken and CCTV footage taken from the car park has been analysed, but gardaí are also appealing for anyone who may “have any information, social media recordings or have witnessed what happened” in Tesco car park between around 10.30pm on Tuesday, October 3, to get in touch with them at Wexford Garda Station on 053 9165200 or call the garda confidential line on 1800 666111.