A man who assaulted a woman in a random and unprovoked attack in Cork city centre, in a case of mistaken identity, has been jailed for five years.
Conor Greaney, aged 27, of Farranferris Avenue, Farranree, told gardaí that he was "sick to his stomach" when he realised the woman he had punched and tripped outside the GPO on Oliver Plunkett Street on 7 March 2024, was not who he thought she was.
However, he told gardaí that he would still have done what he did if she had been his intended target, a woman he claimed was trolling his family and his partner online.
His violent, unprovoked attack on 35-year-old Selina Regazzoli, a businesswoman and social influencer, who was on a work trip to Cork, left her with a badly broken ankle and unable to walk for six months.
At his sentencing hearing, Det Garda Orla Moriarty said Ms Regazzoli was on her way to work when, without warning, the defendant ran at her from across the street and struck her in the face, before tripping her, in an unprovoked attack and shouting at her.
Det Gda Moriarty said the entire incident was captured on CCTV. Greaney admitted the assault telling gardaí that Ms Regazzoli was not his intended target, that it was a case of mistaken identity, saying his intended victim was someone who was harrassing him and his partner.
Det Gda Moriarty described him as a violent and dangerous man involved in criminal activity with 68 convictions - some 35 from when he was a juvenile - two of them for assault for which he had been jailed previously.
'Sheer shock and confusion'
In her victim impact statement read out in court, Ms Regazzoli remembered her "sheer shock and confusion" when she was attacked.
What had stayed with her most, she said, "was the panic and fear as she lay there, helpless, my bag and belongings thrown all over the street".
"From that moment on, I have lived in this state of ongoing trauma, living day-to-day in fight or fright mode, and that doesn't go away, no matter what time has passed."
She said the physical injuries she suffered were severe. Her right ankle was broken and dislocated and the recovery "was months' long, painful and exhausting" and she may never make a full recovery.
But she said the psychological damage has been even more profound.
"Before the attack, I was a confident, independent, and outgoing person who travelled the world for work. I had built a life and a career that I was proud of. My work involved being out face-to-face with people while being active on social media, and I had done it all independently. I felt strong, confident and free.
"That person is gone," she said.
Since the attack she had lost her self worth, she is afraid to be seen or to be looked at. She is afraid to be alone in public and afraid of strangers.
"This attack has taken away my sense of safety, my independence and my freedom."
The online commentary surrounding the attack added another layer of trauma, she said.
"Reading the comments and seeing people blame me, judge me and make false accusations about me was deeply humiliating and hurtful.
"People suggested I must have done something to deserve this or must have known the defendant. None of this was true.
He 'beat my self-worth out of me'
"The defendant did not just punch me in the head and break my ankle. He broke my sense of safety. He broke my confidence and beat my self-worth out of me. He took away the independent and happy life I had built for myself.
"I now live with fear, self doubt, trauma and physical pain every single day," Ms Regazzoli said.
Defence barrister, Elaine Audley said her client had identified himself on CCTV when interviewed by gardaí, and expressed remorse "that he got the wrong person".
She said he had suffered a drugs and drink relapse when his grandfather, who had looked out for him, died.
He wrote a letter of apology to the victim in which he accepted it was cowardly, unacceptable behaviour and apologised to his family for embarrassing them, she told Judge Dermot Sheehan.
Sentencing Greaney, Judge Sheehan remarked that while the defendant had expressed remorse "he, strangely said that he would still have done what he did if she was his intended target".
He noted the profound impact the incident had on Ms Regazzoli both physically and emotionally, describing her victim impact statement as "eloquent and powerful", assaulted by "a man who has difficulty in controlling himself".
In mitigation, Judge Sheehan noted Greaney presented himself to gardaí after the attack. He also identified himself on CCTV and entered a guilty plea.
Judge Sheehan jailed him for five-and-a-half years suspending the last six months of the sentence.
He backdated the sentence to 9 March 2024 when Greaney first entered custody in relation to the incident.
