Robert’s father: Apology a PR stunt

GRIEVING father Mark Holohan has dismissed Wayne O’Donoghue’s prison-gate apology as a publicity stunt.

On Wednesday morning Mr O’Donoghue stood outside the Midlands Prison and addressed reporters after serving three years of a four-year manslaughter jail term.

Reading from a prepared script, the 23-year-old apologised to the Holohans for killing their son Robert and for worsening their agony by hiding the body and joining in a Garda search for the child.

But Robert’s father Mark has dismissed the apology as a public relations stunt.

“Wayne has some neck on him apologising like that. It was a stunt. It was like a PR statement. He got off with a lenient sentence,” said Mr Holohan.

The Director of Public Prosecutions appealed against the leniency of the sentence in 2006 but the Court of Criminal Appeal upheld the original four-year term handed down by trial judge Mr Justice Paul Carney.

On Wednesday, Mr O’Donoghue walked free from prison after completing his sentence, which was reduced by a year on account of his good behaviour inside. Outside jail Mr O’Donoghue said: “I realise and accept that nothing which I may do or say will ever ease their [the Holohans] suffering. I feel and carry the burden of guilt for my actions each day.”

Mr O’Donoghue’s statement won the backing of the principal of his former school, while residents in Midleton, where the killing occurred, said he should be left in peace by the public as well as the media.

But Mr Holohan said afterwards: “Every day we live in a nightmare. What are we left with? His [Mr O’Donoghue’s] statement means nothing.”

The public appeared to be coming to terms with the death and Mr O’Donoghue’s role, Mr Holohan indicated.

“People seem to be accepting it [what happened]. It’s unbelievable.

“They forget what we have gone through,” said Mr Holohan.

Yesterday, the Holohan family solicitor Ernest Cantillon was unavailable for comment.

Wayne O’Donoghue’s lawyer Frank Buttimer said his time as a spokesman for the former engineering student has ended.

In his statement Mr O’Donoghue said he would be making no further comments on the matter.