Husband went out to get birthday flowers, beat wife with hammer on return, court hears
A jury in the trial of a Polish man accused of trying to kill his wife at their home in Dublin has been told the attack happened on the morning of her birthday.
Andrzej Benko of Ladyswell Road, Mulhuddart denies the attempted murder of Joanna Benko in July 2010.
Andrzej and Joanna were married in Poland in 2002 and the couple moved to Ireland two years later.
In 2010, they were living at Ladyswell Road, Mulhuddart with their then three-year-old son and another couple who rented a room at the house.
On the morning of July 5, 2010, Andrzej Benko got up early and went to the shop to buy his wife flowers for her birthday.
He told Gardaí that when he came home, he carried their son out of their bed before fetching a lump hammer and beating his wife as she slept.
The court heard he called emergency services and handed himself in to his local Garda station.
Joanna Benko was hit at least three times in the head and is now almost fully confined to a wheelchair and is in need of a full-time carer.
Lawyers for the prosecution have told the jury that the attack is not being disputed, but it will be left up to them to decide if Andrzej intended to kill her.
