A man who admitted that he put two Valium tablets in his partner’s tomato and mayonnaise sandwich because he felt she needed to relax has been given a suspended sentence for poisoning the woman.
Mark O’Neill (62) of Cois na Coille, Pollerton, Carlow Town pleaded guilty to intentionally or recklessly administering, or causing to be taken, a substance which he knows to be capable of interfering substantially with the other’s bodily functions in August 2024.
The maximum penalty available to the court is three years in prison.
Evidence was heard at an earlier sitting of Carlow Circuit Criminal Court before Judge Eugene O’Kelly.
The court heard at that hearing that O’Neill’s partner of 30 years discovered Valium tablets in a sandwich that he had made for her last August and that after taking one bite, she didn’t eat any more of it because it tasted “metallic”. She immediately went to sleep.
Judge O’Kelly was told that when she woke, she saw the sandwich still on her bedside locker. The bread had turned blue in places and she found blue tablets mixed into it.
She went to her doctor, who said she was medically fine but advised her to go to the gardaí about the matter.
On arrest O’Neill said he’d put “mayonnaise, tomatoes and two blue Valium tablets” in the sandwich.
He told gardaí that he wanted his partner to be able to relax because she’d been stressed in recent times.
Last Friday, Ross Pratt O’Brien BL, defending, said O’Neill instructed that his then partner was very stressed at the time and he had thought the medication might help her relax.
Mr Pratt O Brien said O’Neill now acknowledges that “his actions were reckless” and administering the medication without his partner’s knowledge was “extremely reckless”.
The court heard he has no previous convictions and has not come to garda attention since the offence.
Counsel said O’Neill had worked in health care but that he will never be able to work in that sector again with his conviction.
The court heard that O’Neill no longer has any contact with his ex partner or his son.
A probation report that had been ordered following the previous sentence hearing concluded that O’Neill was at a low risk of re-offending and counsel submitted that the report itself was “favourable”.
Judge O’Kelly accepted that O’Neill thought it was for the best to give his partner the medication but added that this was “shockingly reckless”.
He said O’Neill had experienced his own medical problems “so he knew perfectly well that administering tablets to his partner in this manner is reckless”.
Judge O’Kelly set a headline sentence of two years and six months.
He acknowledged that O’Neill had not intended any harm to his then partner.
Judge O’Kelly accepted that O’Neill “thought he was doing this for the good of his partner – so I will take the plea on the basis of recklessness,” the judge said.
He reduced the sentence to 18 months which he suspended in full on strict conditions for two years.
“I can assure you that you have used up any chances you had,” Judge O’Kelly commented at the conclusion of the case.