The Central Criminal Court has heard details of a knife attack on a civil servant who had her throat slit by another woman as she walked home from work.
Laura Kenna, 35, of no fixed abode has pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to charges of assault causing harm and attempted murder.
The jury heard that Fionnula Burke was walking home from work on 3 January 2017 when Ms Kenna "sprung up" and pushed her backwards onto a grass verge before climbing on top of her.
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Ms Burke told gardaí that she felt some short stabs going into her upper body and initially thought they were from a syringe.
She then felt a dramatic slash across her neck and thought she was going to be killed because Ms Kenna had not asked or demanded anything before she struck.
She then said something like "if you give me your bag, I'll let you go".
Sergeant Ken Hoare told the court that Ms Burke managed to remove her bag and free herself and ran towards the Archbishop's house on Lower Drumcondra Road.
Witnesses said they saw her screaming and trying to flag down cars. A garda who was on duty in the area came to her aid.
Ms Burke suffered an 8cm cut to her neck, which had severed the muscle and cut through the thyroid gland. She required emergency surgery. She also had a cut to her chest.
Sgt Hoare outlined how Ms Kenna was arrested the following day after she was identified on CCTV footage from Drumcondra Railway Station.
She had just been released from custody at Tallaght Garda Station on a public order matter.
She was found to have a knife and items belonging to Ms Burke on her, including a purse containing her employment identity card.
The court was told that Ms Kenna never had any dealings with Ms Burke through her work and most likely discovered where she worked in the hours after the attack when she saw the contents of her purse.
The jury was also told by defence counsel Barry Whyte that Ms Kenna has a history of psychiatric illness.
He asked Sgt Hoare if he was aware of this. Sgt Hoare said from their investigations they learned that there was a "mental health history".
He also agreed with defence counsel that there was no evidence of any State agency taking away any property belonging to Ms Kenna.
Sgt Hoare also agreed that there had been other incidents with Ms Kenna. He agreed that just two weeks before the attack on Ms Burke, Ms Kenna had also stabbed a woman at a Luas stop.
She had gone on trial for that offence and a jury had returned a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity.
Earlier, the jury was told by prosecuting counsel Alex Sammon that it would hear evidence from two psychiatrists.
Both were from the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum, but the jury would hear conflicting views, Mr Sammon said.
He said the jury would have to hear the evidence and decide on the state of mind of the accused.
The trial continues tomorrow.
