AN ARTIST who had several fingers cut off by a burglar said his sentencing for 16 years “can’t change” her situation.
Alexandra Trotsenko was speaking yesterday , the day after James Kenny of Prospect Hill, Finglas, was jailed for using knives on her “like a butcher” in 2009 when he broke into her apartment.
"I am satisfied about the judge's decision, unfortunately it can't change my situation and it can't change anything in relation to my hand," Ms Trotsenko told RTÉ's Livelineyesterday.
Ms Trotsenko is from Russia but is married to an Irishman and plans to remain living here. She is an artist but is unable to hold a pen having lost her ring finger, little finger and part of her index finger.
She had an exhibition of her work in St Stephen’s Green in 2006 to some acclaim and had illustrated a children’s book. She had been planning to illustrate a further book before the attack.
She said there was a possibility of working as an artist again if she got prosthesis. “But unfortunately for the moment I can’t even think about it because I can’t afford it,” she said.
Ms Trotsenko said she was not doing too badly after the case ended. “You know I was thinking not about what happened me . . . I think it will be more safe for people here,” she said.
She was responding on the show to a pledge by many artists to donate works for auction to raise money for her. “Because I am Russian, I wasn’t really expecting that response, I was really surprised it’s very generous” she said.
Among the works offered were Niall O’Loughlin’s caricature of President-elect Michael D Higgins, theatre drawings from designer Peter O’Brien, a miniature of the Dublin city centre statue of Phil Lynott from his uncle and an oil painting by broadcaster Joe Duffy. Adam’s Auctioneers offered to hold a sale with all of the works.
Peter O’Brien told the programme: “I spend my life earning a living by drawing and the idea that I wouldn’t be able to do that any more is just would be like my identity being robbed.”
