Man given 12 years for unprovoked attack on aunt

A man, who inflicted permanent and life-altering brain injuries on his aunt during a brutal cocaine-fuelled attack at her home, has today been sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Nyal Tumelty (30) of Coolderry, Inniskeen, Co Monaghan, had pleaded guilty to assault causing serious harm to Angela Cunningham at her home in Coughvalley, Carrickmacross, on Saturday April 22, 2023. He was on bail at the time for another serious and violent offence.

An earlier court had been told how Tumelty had left his aunt “for dead” after the vicious, unprovoked attack in which she was struck on the head with a bottle, stabbed in the face, and kicked on the ground. He had made no attempt to call emergency services and instead made off with her car after stealing the keys. The injured woman was found lying in her own blood in the kitchen of her home the following day by concerned members of her family who had called to check up on her.

At this morning's sentencing hearing at Cavan Circuit Court, Judge John Aylmer described it as a "frenzied attack", one that was "fuelled by alcohol and cocaine"

Tumelty was sentenced to assault causing serious harm with all other charges- production of a knife, a glass bottle, theft of keys and unlawful taking of a car taken into account.

In passing the 12 year sentence, Judge Aylmer noted Tumelty was entitled to time already served on this matter. He suspended the final two years on conditions, explaining how this portion was to incentivise the defendant with his rehabilitation. There will also be two years supervision post release, and to ensure that he poses "no danger to the community when released".

Before sentencing defence barrister James McGowan read out a letter penned by Tumelty, and addressed to the judge, which detailed how he had been struggling with his mental health for years. He added that he hates drugs and "what they do to people's minds".

Permanently institutionalised

The extent of the shock, trauma and devastation caused by the attack was highlighted at previous hearing where her loved ones recalled how the frenzied assault had changed their lives forever and left Angela — their mother, grandmother and sister — with “no quality of life” and permanently institutionalised.

Judge John Aylmer was also told how Ms Cunningham, now 65, and who was 63 at the time of the attack, spent many months in intensive care and hospitals up until about a year ago when she was taken to a residential facility. It is expected she will remain there, and it was also confirmed that her condition has in fact been deteriorating over the past year.

It also emerged that Tumelty, a single man with no dependants who was brought up in Inniskeen, had attacked another woman who was jogging on the Carlingford Lough Greenway on September 25, 2021, and that he is currently serving a six-year, nine-month sentence for the offence handed down at Dundalk Circuit Court in January of this year.

In evidence given by Detective Inspector Adrian Durcan, it was revealed that Tumelty had been drinking in Dundalk from about 12 noon on the Saturday of the assault on his aunt, and that he was using cocaine as well.

He went to Ms Cunningham’s home in Clough valley at about 5:15pm that evening. Following the violent assault, her car was taken and later found abandoned in a laneway near Tumelty’s family home.

For the full report of previous hearing at which impact statements were read, see: https://www.anglocelt.ie/2025/10/30/left-his-aunt-for-dead-after-vicious-drug-fuelled-attack/