Irish celebs boost savaged Russian artist

Aleksandra Trotsenko used to illustrate children’s books. But two years ago, a man broke into her home in Dublin and savaged her with a machete, chopping off several fingers. Now, Irish celebs want to help: they have held an auction, raising €63,000.

­James Kenny, who pleaded guilty to the brutal attack, has been jailed for 16 years. He took a knife and machete to the Russian for the sake of pinching her cash, jewelry and credit cards.

Since the attack, Alexandra hasn’t been able to work. With no medical insurance or help from the Irish government, the artist fell into despair. Doctors said it would cost €10,000 to replace the lost fingers with prostheses.

But things changed after she appeared on local RTE radio’s Liveline show. The station was flooded with calls, with listeners suggesting ways to help the artist get the pricey surgery. Many opened up their purses too, with some €20,000 donated.     Full Read