Jail term ‘will not ease pain for Rachel’s family’
“There was no celebration on the family’s part yesterday when we heard the news of the sentence,” said Rachel’s brother-in-law David Dunlea.
“The family has moved on insofar as they can. We are getting on with our lives, that’s all we can do,” he said.
“We don’t hold any bitterness or hatred towards the man [Ian Horgan].
“He is serving his time for the crime he committed against Rachel’s family,” said Mr Dunlea.
“The fact he is going to serve more time is not going to change the effect he has had on the Kiely family. It won’t bring Rachel back.”
Mr Dunlea said Rachel’s family wasn’t even aware that Horgan, aged 23, was on trial for robbing Clondrohid post office armed with a knife.
Rachel’s strangled body was found in Ballincollig Regional Park, Co Cork, in October 2000. Horgan was convicted two years later of her murder. He successfully appealed the conviction in 2004 and was released on bail, during which time he committed the robbery.
Horgan was retried in 2006 for Ms Kiely’s killing.
After he pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was found guilty of rape, Horgan was sentenced to eight years in jail with six years suspended to take account of time he had served.
However, following a successful appeal against the leniency of the sentence by the DPP earlier this year, the Court of Criminal Appeal substituted a 12-year sentence on both counts backdated to 2001.
Mr Dunlea said a person’s character is defined by his or her actions.
“Horgan’s actions define the kind of character he is,” he said.
“It is always good to see people involved in criminal activity brought to justice. I’m sure every decent member of society will welcome sentences of this sort.”
Rachel’s devastated parents, John and Rose, moved to a new home on mainland Europe within the past few months.
They have family support in their new home city, said Mr Dunlea.
“What happened to their daughter played a large role in their decision to move,” he said.
“Living in Cork, with all the reminders and the huge amount of history here was just too much.”
Mr Dunlea was hoping to make contact with them last night to inform them of the sentence handed down to Horgan.
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