'We are very angry' says son of woman subjected to life-changing assault by vile thug out on bail
Victim Angela Cunningham suffered life changing injuries in the attack. (Image: Paul Cunningham)The family of this attack victim are demanding changes to the law – after a thug subjected her to a life changing assault while out on bail for another brutal act of violence.“He should not have been given bail,” a son of assault victim Angela Cunningham tells us – as the beast who subjected her to a prolonged attack begins a 10 year jail.Attacker Nyal Tumelty, Mrs Cunningham’s own nephew, assaulted her in her home in Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan on April 22, 2023. Her injuries were so severe that she is now in a wheelchair and requires permanent care.But Tumelty, 30, from Inniskeen, Co. Monaghan was on bail at the time for an attack on a pregnant runner in Carlingford, Co Louth in September 2021 – and Mrs Cunningham’s family say she would have been saved if he was locked up awaiting trial for that offence.Tumelty pleaded guilty to the Carlingford attack in June 2024 – after he attacked Mrs Cunningham – and was caged for five years and nine months in February of this year.But by the time he was jailed for the attack on the woman in Louth, he had already assaulted Mrs Cunningham – leaving her in need of full time care.Sign up to our new Crime Ireland newsletter and get exclusive content from Michael O'Toole and Paul HealyThe Irish Mirror's Crime Writers Michael O'Toole and Paul Healy are writing a new weekly newsletter called Crime Ireland. Click here to sign up and get it delivered to your inbox every weekAttacker Nyal Tumelty, 30, who was out on bail for another assault when he subjected Mrs Cunningham to a nightmare ordeal in her own home. Credit: RTE(Image: RTE)Now, Mrs Cunningham’s son Paul says her devastated family wants the law changed so people facing serious charges are not released on bail – to protect the rest of society.He told us Mrs Cunningham would have been spared the attack if Tumelty was not out on bail.He said: “If he wasn't given bail for attacking that other woman - which in itself was a serious attack on her - our mother would be living a normal and healthy life.“She has no quality of life at all, is stuck in a wheelchair needing two to one care and her condition has deteriorated in the last year.“Our mother spent 17 months in three different hospitals before she was sent to a facility for brain injuries.”Tumelty was jailed for 12 years on November 20 for the attack on Mrs Cunningham – but two years were suspended. He had pleaded guilty to the offence of assault causing serious harm at Cavan Circuit Criminal Court.Judge John Aylmer heard that Tumelty inflicted permanent brain injuries on Mrs Cunningham, 65, during the cocaine-fuelled attack.The court heard Tumelty hit Mrs Cunningham on the head with a bottle, kicked her repeatedly on the head and even stabbed her in the face. He then left her injured in her own house, failed to call for help – and left in her car.Judge Aylmer said that the attack was fuelled by alcohol and drugs, and Tumelty had little recollection of what happened - but that was no excuse.The judge also said Tumelty's diagnosis of schizophrenia was secondary to the drug-induced psychosis on the day of the attack.Mrs Cunningham was only found more than 24 hours later by concerned family members who called to her home.Her son Paul told us the attack devastated the entire family.He said: “It has affected the whole family massively and makes it complicated because it was a family member. It has affected me an awful lot.“I'd to go to counselling and that lady reckons I’m suffering from PTSD. The first two weeks of it happening we didn’t know if she was going to survive and was in a coma.“I've three children under the age of 10. It’s difficult raising three children, working a full time job and dealing with our mother’s situation for the last two and half years .“Visits to our mother are not a pleasant sight. We saw her go through some horrible times.Victim Angela Cunningham(Image: Paul Cunningham)Members of Mrs Cunningham's family speaking to the media after Tumelty's sentencing on November 20, Her son Paul on the extreme right. Credit: RTE(Image: RTE)“If she is not screaming and shouting she is heavily medicated and just out of it, either in a wheelchair or in a bed.” And he spoke of the family’s fury that Tumelty carried out the attack while out on bail.He said: “We were very angry that he did all of that and ruined our mother’s life forever all the while on bail for another serious offence.“There should be certain crimes that you don't get bail for. He was one lad who shouldn’t have been given bail.“For all the lives he ruined and all the horrific things he did to our mother, 10 years doesn't seem a lot and who knows he could only do eight with good behaviour.”A spokesman for the Department of Justice said it did not comment on individual cases. But he did point to a report on bail presented to Minister Jim O’Callaghan last week. It contained 15 recommendations.The recommendations include proposed investment for improved information sharing systems for both An Garda Síochána and the Courts Service; the implementation of an adult bail supervision scheme to ensure the proper management of recidivist offenders; the amending of current bail legislation to significantly expand the conditions which may be attached to the granting of bail; and further legislative amendments to improve the legal framework surrounding bail.Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
