A man with no arms stabbed his father with a scissor blade that he held between his toes, a court heard.
Rory O’Connor, 23, who was born without arms, knifed his dad Kevin at their home in Cardiff in Wales, in an accident last November.
Cardiff Crown Court heard how the pair had rowed about the weapon shortly before the attack, which left Kevin needing major surgery.
Prosecuting lawyer Matthew Roberts said Rory had often carried the weapon since he was threatened while talking a walk through a nearby forested area. But his parents expressed their “concerns and frustrations” about him wielding the weapon, Manchester Evening News reported.
Roberts said Kevin picked up a vacuum cleaner tube, roughly one meter long, and prodded his son in the chest. Rory, who once represented Wales in swimming and football competitions, then allegedly “struck out” with his foot, stabbing his dad in the stomach.
In a statement read out to the court, Kevin said the incident will not stop him from supporting his son.
He added that his “greatest concern” was for his son’s wellbeing and safety.
Kevin described the incident as “regrettable” but said he now has a greater insight into the difficulties his son is facing. He added: “[Rory] has so much more to offer.”
Defense lawyer Andrew Davies said Rory developed depression in his late teens, and insisted he is “a young man who cannot be judged by normal standards.”
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