Psychiatric report to be carried out on killer

A PSYCHIATRIC report is to be carried out on a man convicted of killing another man during a late-nightincident in a city park.

Martin O’Brien, aged 21, of The Quay, Waterford, was found guilty by a jury last month of the manslaughter of Damien Organ, aged 25, who died in hospital 10 days after being struck with a hurley on March 21 of last year.

He was also convicted of assaulting Damien Organ and his brother Liam Organ, aged 27, both of William Street, Waterford, causing them harm.

Sentencing was adjourned in relation to the incident in the People’s Park, Waterford, but the court was told yesterday that a psychiatric report was to be prepared in relation to O’Brien.

A probation and welfare report has been completed and a retired consultant psychiatrist is to carry out an assessment within the next two weeks, his solicitor Kenneth Cunningham said.

A co-accused, Kieron Deegan, aged 20, of The Quay, Waterford, was found not guilty of manslaughter and not guilty of assaulting Liam Organ, but guilty of assaulting Damien Organ.

Meanwhile, Liam Organ pleaded guilty to affray arising out of the same incident and the court heard yesterday that a probation report is yet to be carried out in relation to him.

Judge Rory McCabe said he would prefer to deal with all three sentencing matters at the same time and adjourned them until July 18.

He was told that Kieron Deegan’s case was ready and that the defendant was anxious to have the matter finalised.

A six-day trial heard that an argument broke out on March 21 of last year between Liam Organ and his ex-girlfriend, who was a friend of Martin O’Brien, over a €400 loan she had given Mr Organ.

The row escalated and O’Brien and Kieron Deegan were part of a group that went to meet Liam Organ and his brother Damien that night in the People’s Park.

After an argument started in the park, Martin O’Brien hit Liam Organ with a hurley and then hit Damien Organ with the hurley in the side of the neck and hit him again as he landed on the ground. Kieron Deegan hit Damien Organ on the lower back after he fell.