Man born with no arms stabs father in stomach with scissor blade held between his toes
A court in the UK has heard that a man who was born with no arms was able to stab his father in the stomach with a blade from a pair of scissors that he held between his toes.
Twenty three-year-old Rory O'Connor, who once swam for the Wales team, slashed at his father, Kevin O'Connor, with the blade at the family home after they had an argument over him carrying the weapon.
In a statement that was read in the Cardiff Crown Court, Kevin said that his main concern was his son's wellbeing, even though he needed major surgery after the incident.
The Manchester Evening News reported that the father made it very clear the attack would not stop him from showing his son support. Prosecutor Matthew Roberts said that O'Connor was born without any arms and also has several other medical conditions. The young man had played able-bodied football with professional teams and even swam competitively for Wales.
The prosecutor also said that O'Connor had started carrying the weapon, which was basically one blade from a pair of scissors, after he was caught up in an incident in which he was threatened while walking in the woods.
The court also heard how his parents had become "concerned and frustrated" with him carrying around the weapon.
Things came to a head when O'Connor and his father had an argument about the make-shift weapon on November 3 last year. Roberts told the court that the father picked up a meter-long tube from a vacuum cleaner and poked his son in the chest with it. O'Connor is then said to have "struck out" with his foot and managed to slash his father in the abdomen.
The court then heard that Kevin needed "serious medical intervention" including a surgery. O'Connor, who is from Whitchurch, Cardiff, admitted to the wounding on the basis of his actions being reckless instead of on purpose. The court also heard that he did not have any previous convictions, Mirror Online reported.
In the statement that was read out in court, Kevin said that his "greatest concern" was for his son's wellbeing and safety. He then went on to describe what happened on November 3 last year and called it "regrettable".
He also said that it was able to give him a better insight into his son's difficulties in life. Kevin said that he did not want the assault to be the "defining negative movement" of his son's life and added: "He has so much more to offer".
The defense lawyer, Andrew Davies, said that O'Connor had been hell-bent on overcoming his desperately sad start to life". He also said that the defendant was "devastated" about the injuries he had caused his father and invited the judge to follow the recommendations of the Probation Service, which concluded that O'Connor was a "young man who cannot be judged by normal standards".
Judge Philip Harris-Jenkins said that the former swimmer was a "remarkable young man" who had "risen above" his significant disabilities. He then sentenced O'Connor to a 12-month community order with about 100 hours of unpaid work as well as a rehabilitation course.