Daughter’s heartbreaking wail as father gets life in jail

THE fateful knock finally came at 3.45pm.

Daughter’s heartbreaking wail as father gets life in jail

Thirteen days into the murder trial and after almost five-and-a-half hours of deliberation, the firm rap on the door of Court No 3 signalled the jury had reached its verdict.

Finally the ordeal of the past weeks would soon be over, but the uncertainty over the verdict meant nobody could really relax.

Word quickly went around the precincts of the Four Courts that a decision was imminent as relatives and friends of both Brian and Siobhán Kearney, who had stepped outside for much-needed fresh air, were summoned to return.

Only 30 minutes earlier, trial judge, Mr Justice Barry White had informed the eight women and four men of the jury that he would accept a majority verdict after they had failed to come to a unanimous decision on the guilt or innocence of Brian Kearney for his wife’s murder.

For what seemed an interminable period, that was in reality 10 minutes, the crowd pushed forward in nervous anticipation until Court No 3 was at bursting point.

Seated in the same rows which they took every day of the trial, Siobhan’s family — her parents, Owen and Deirdre and their seven children, Ann Marie, Brighid, Caroline, Niamh, Deirdre, Aisling and Owen — clasped each other’s hands tightly as they murmured “please God” to one another.

Seated among them, a young male relative, anxiously flicked a set of rosary beads between his fingers, while a few rows behind them, close friends of Siobhán began to cry.

A short distance away at a bench at right angles to the McLaughlins sat Brian Kearney, his calm, unemotional exterior probably belying his internal feelings.

Alongside him, his daughter from a previous relationship, Aoife, held her father’s hand, while his sister, Laurie, already visibly distraught, buried her head in the shoulder of a female relative, unable to look at the proceedings.

His brothers, Niall and Paddy who had faithfully attended each day of the hearing, appeared to grow paler by the second.

Kearney’s elderly parents, Feargal and Maeve, who had been in court for most of the trial, were absent for the final denouement.

On entering the courtroom, Mr Justice White sought to temper the charged atmosphere by reminding the packed gathering that he was conscious that it was a tense moment for everyone.

For that reason, he appealed to all parties to refrain from any emotional or triumphant outburst.

His warning ensured the revelation that the jury found Kearney guilty by a 11-1 majority verdict was greeted by a low-key, collective sound of gasps and tears.

Remaining stony-faced, Brian Kearney gently brushed his daughter’s hair as she grabbed her father even tighter.

As the judge thanked the jury for their careful consideration of the evidence and excused them from jury service for life, a large heart-breaking wail came from Aoife Kearney as she heard her father being condemned to a mandatory life sentence in prison.

The sheer emotion of the occasion even had one female juror reaching to wipe tears from her eyes.

The relief felt by the McLaughlins was just as palpable as they smiled and hugged each other in a dignified silence, while also exchanging thanks and gratitude to the large army of Siobhán’s friends and members of the Garda team which investigated Siobhan’s death and attended the hearing on a daily basis.

Under the circumstances, the McLaughlins did not appear too upset when Mr Justice White refused a request by prosecution barrister Denis Vaughan Buckley to allow Aisling McLaughlin to read a victim impact statement.

A few minutes later, the McLaughlins formed a cordon by linking arms alongside the prison van that reversed up to the Four Courts building to take Kearney away to Mountjoy Prison.

As Siobhán’s killer emerged handcuffed to a prison officer, someone unconnected to the family roared out: “You dirty scumbag.”

The McLaughlins marked their farewell to their brother-in-law with a slow handclap.

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