Man who slit girl’s throat is hospitalised days after jail launch over ‘urge to kill’
A convicted attempted murderer was hospitalised for psychological assessment within days of his release from prison after telling gardaí he feared he would harm someone again and sought urgent help
The man, who cannot be named, attacked Stephanie Ng (pictured)(Image: RTE )
A man found guilty of attempted murder has been hospitalised just days after being released from prison. He reportedly confessed to police he feared he might kill again.
The now 23-year-old, who slit the throat of innocent young woman Stephanie Ng in Dún Laoghaire, South Dublin in December 2017, was released from custody only a few days ago, having served nearly nine years of an 11-year sentence for attempted murder.
He had been incarcerated since the attack occurred, but following standard remission, he was freed from Wheatfield Prison in Dublin on 26 March.
The troubled individual, who cannot be named due to his age at the time of the crime, has already come to the attention of the police – after voluntarily presenting himself at a Garda station in Dublin city centre in recent days.
Sources suggest that the attempted murderer – who had been living in a Dublin hostel – confessed he had the “urge” to kill and voiced worry that he might harm someone again. Sources also indicated that the man was actively seeking help, and made it clear that he did not want to act on his urge, reports Dublin Live.
He was subsequently rushed to hospital, where he is currently undergoing a psychological evaluation. This deeply troubling turn of events comes just over a year after a judge voiced serious worries about the possibility of the man being freed from prison without sufficient supervision. Mr Justice Paul McDermott, during a hearing concerning the defendant’s sentence review, characterised this as a case that “cries out for supervision” and expressed “great concern” about the man’s mental health. However, he clarified that a Supreme Court ruling prevented him from reviewing such matters.
His release occurs merely three years after the attempted murderer needed hospital treatment following an episode in which he scrawled the words “Sorry Stephanie” in his own blood across his cell wall.
The dangerous individual had been behind bars since confessing to the attempted murder, in which he used a dating app to entice Ms Ng to a secluded location at the Sea Front, Queen’s Road, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin.
Just 15 at the time, the teenager reached out to Ms Ng via an online dating service, falsely claiming to be 19. He then lured her to an isolated spot at the seafront on Queen’s Road, Dún Laoghaire, under the guise of wanting to take a selfie with her.
He guided her to the waterfront where he grabbed her from behind, strangled her until she passed out and slashed her neck with a knife.
In an exclusive interview in 2020, Stephanie Ng showed the scars on her wrist and neck, which she described as a painful and permanent reminder of the traumatic experience.
“It will always be with me because I have the scars,” Ms Ng told Dublin Live. “I don’t know what to say because it’s out of my hands really. (But) I mean it will always be with me because I have the scars. So it’s not like it can change anything. I don’t think there will be justice on both sides because it’s quite sad on both sides to be honest.”
Ms Ng also disclosed how the incident had left her finding it hard to trust others, and she’s become more hesitant to go outside.
She said: “I just don’t go out as much or I’m careful who I’m with. I mean I just hang out with my own friends. So I’d just say to people just be careful,” she advised, issuing a warning to young women across Ireland.
The brave young woman, who thankfully made a full recovery despite being deserted by her attacker, explained that she’s now trying to move on with her life.
“I’m just looking forward. I’m just trying to get on with my life now. I just have to look forward.”
However, she pointed out that the lasting physical injuries from the attack continue to serve as a distressing reminder of the horrific ordeal she went through.
Ms Ng added: “Even my hand, my thumb is still numb. So even if I don’t look at myself I can still feel it. But I just have go get on with my life and I can only look forward now.”
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