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Westmeath Man Dubbed ‘Freddie Krueger’ Sliced Friend’s Liver While Awaiting Sentence

Friday, 17 April 2026 09:04

He was on bail for a "savage" attack on his former partner.

An Athlone man – described as a "Jekyll and Hyde" – stabbed a former friend seven times and left him fighting for his life in a €20 row while on bail for a "savage" attack on his former partner. Mark Conway (39), a father of two, "sliced" his victim's liver with the man needing emergency surgery and having his gallbladder removed, Mullingar Circuit Criminal Court heard.

The wounded man recalled being stabbed multiple times from head to waist. Later, he and his terrified family had to endure local taunts that Conway was like the fictional horror film character, Freddie Krueger, and he was "coming for you". Conway pleaded guilty to causing serious harm and other charges connected to the vicious knife attack on March 1, 2025. Gardaí arrived to find separate blood trails from the stab victim leading to each man's home in Marine View, Athlone, Co Westmeath.

Judge Keenan Johnson previously said the accused had "Jekyll and Hyde characteristics, passive when sober, and when he is drunk, he is a menace, violent and a thug". He had been jailed for five years and three months in January for using a golf club to attack his ex-girlfriend, who later fled the country.

The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has urged the court to consider a 10 to 15-year sentence for the stabbing. Judge Johnson described that incident as a "horrendous experience" and commented that it was fortunate that there was no fatal injury. He wished to consider the DPP's guidance, along with defence submissions, and adjourned the case until a date in October.

Garda Jennifer Cassells said that gardaí found the injured party bleeding heavily in his home, where he lived with his partner and their children. A garda applied pressure to a wound to his abdomen. There was a significant amount of blood on the couch and in the hallway.

Gardaí learned that the victim and Conway had been friends who had been drinking together and had jointly placed a bet on a horse over the previous few days, and there was an argument over money. At 9.45 pm on the date of the attack, Conway turned up at his friend's home and banged the door with a pole, demanding, "I want my fucking money".

The victim became irate, came out, and the accused came at him with the pole, but the victim disarmed him. He went back inside but went out again with the pole when Conway returned. The accused had a shovel and a flick-knife, and during the altercation, he began stabbing the man, the court heard. The man lost consciousness and was rushed to the hospital, where he was saved by keyhole surgery.

CCTV from a nearby house was played in court. The judge heard that when interviewed by gardaí, the accused said he was sorry, and he delivered a soft-spoken apology in court. However, the victims were not present. The man and his partner gave statements expressing how they feel unsafe and suffer flashbacks. The man said he had a weird, empty feeling after the doctors removed his gallbladder.

His partner recalled that night saying, "There was blood everywhere like you would see in a movie". The court heard Conway began drinking from the age of 14 after his mother died, and later he began abusing medication as well.

He admitted he could not hold down a job and had been employed for no more than one year in his life. He now has 26 prior convictions, which include assault, public order, criminal damage, burglary, theft and knife possession.

Defence senior counsel John Shortt said that since being jailed at Castlrea Prison in January, custody has been a benefit to his client, who is taking part in a horticulture course on an enhanced regime, attending the gym and the education unit.

In his previous case, Conway admitted assault causing harm to Kirsty Fitzpatrick, age 27, on February 16, 2024, at his home address. Judge Johnson had said Conway carried out a savage attack when he repeatedly kicked and punched her before Conway delivered full-force blows with a golf club.

She had been in excruciating pain and suffered nerve damage to her left arm. Ms Fitzpatrick addressed those proceedings and spoke out about the mental scars which she thought would take years to heal. 

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