'I thought I was going to die': Barrister recounts moment convicted murderer held “shiv” to her throat

Sean Ducque (34), who was due to go on trial for murder the following week, had hidden the improvised weapon down his trousers and attempted to use his terrified barrister as leverage to escape from a cell in a courthouse.

“Let me out of the fucking cell now or I am going to kill her,” Ducque told prison officers, adding “I am facing life anyway.”

A violent struggle with three prison officers and two gardai followed before Ducque was restrained.

Ducque, formerly of Cloonlara Crescent, Finglas, Dublin who has 44 previous convictions, was subsequently convicted of murder in July 2017 and is currently serving a life sentence.

Today's sentence is consecutive to a five year term he is currently serving for assault with intent to commit unlawful seizure of a taxi, imposed in May 2016.

Ducque pleaded guilty to assaulting the victim, falsely imprisoning her and making a threat to kill her in a cell at a District Court in Dublin on June 8, 2017.

Ducque also pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assaulting three prison officers causing them harm and attempting to escape from lawful custody on the same occasion.

Judge Melanie Greally said Ducque had subjected the injured party to “an utterly terrifying ordeal” and noted that as well as the physical attack, the “overt threat to kill” had caused huge trauma.

She commended the woman her immense bravery in describing the devastating effects the attack had on her in her victim impact statement. She noted that the two of the prison officers sustained injuries and they all suffered “stress, trauma and anxiety” as a result of the incident.

Judge Greally noted Ducque's convictions and said it was clear he was someone who was capable of extreme violence in many manifestations. She took into account his guilty plea and admissions.

She imposed concurrent sentences totalling eight years to be served consecutive to his current term.

The woman's victim impact statement said it had been her dream to work as a barrister but the incident has had a devastating impact on her personally and professionally.

She said she had never known fear like that day and believed that she could die.

Luigi Rea BL, defending, said Ducque had no personal animosity towards his victim and had attempted to use her as leverage to escape. He said Ducque deeply regretted what he did and had asked that an apology be passed onto her.

He said Ducque had deluded himself into thinking he could somehow engineer his escape. He said his client had lived in the inner city as a young man and worked as labourer before he began dabbling in drugs as a 15 year old.

Garda Brian Cleary told Dara Hayes BL, prosecuting, that the barrister was seated beside Ducque in his cell, having a discussion with him, when he looked straight at her and said “This is only going to go one way.”

Ducque told her he was going to slit her throat as he pulled a sharp piece of perspex from his sleeve.

He grabbed her from behind and put the perspex to her throat. He told her: “I will kill you if you don't do what I say.” Ducque moved the perspex from her neck to her cheek, saying “you are going to get me out of here.”

Prison officers heard the noise, came to the door and shouted at Ducque to drop the perspex.

“Let me out of the fucking cell now or I am going to kill her,” Ducque told the prison officers, adding “I am facing life anyway.”

There was a violent struggle in which Ducque attempted to stab one of the officers in the stomach three times and went to bite his hand, before dropping his weapon. One of the officers kicked it out of the room. A third prison officer arrived, they rushed Ducque and a baton was deployed.

The woman managed to free herself during the struggle and run from cell. She ran to the lobby and gardai were alerted.

Two gardai went to assist the prison officers as Ducque continued to resist violently. A control and restraint team later arrived to return Ducque to Mountjoy prison.

A jagged and pointed piece of perspex, about 10 inches long, was recovered. Ducque later told gardai this “shiv” or improvised weapon came from a prison window and he had hidden it down the front of his trousers on the way from the prison.

He told gardai he had been trying to escape and had been planning it since the day before. He said he had been “in two minds” about whether to do it and claimed “no one got injured apart from me.”

He told gardai he felt “desperate” at the time and felt for the victim afterwards. He said the prison officers had “caused the injuries to themselves.” He said there had been a struggle but it was not violent.

The barrister said she was aware Ducque was due to go on trial for murder the following week and she believed he was capable of doing it to her. She said he had been calm prior to the incident and she had said nothing bad to him beforehand.

She outlined in her victim impact statements that she had suffered panic attacks, nightmares and people touching her could cause her to jump. “I am scared to be near people and terrified to be alone,” she said.

The woman said she had treated Ducque in a professional capacity “with kindness, respect and humility” but he had not returned the favour. She described how she was afraid something like this could happen again but said she fights every day for her recovery.