Man sentenced to life for petrol station murder
John Coughlan, aged 33, of Pineview Gardens, Moyross, had pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to manslaughter of Daniel Treacy, aged 35, at Topaz garage, Caherdavin, Ennis Rd, on Feb 22, 2010.
But the prosecution did not accept the plea and a jury was sworn in for the two-week trial.
Mr Treacy was shot three times in the head and once in the groin by Coughlan in what the prosecution claimed was revenge for his brother’s killing.
The court heard the deceased’s brother was one of three men convicted of killing Darren Coughlan, who was beaten up in 2005. The court heard the men who attacked him were looking for another man with the same surname.
Coughlan’s lawyers claimed he was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia at the time of the shooting that would have substantially diminished his responsibility. However, the jury yesterday found him guilty by unanimous verdict.
Ashling Treacy, the deceased’s sister, read a victim impact statement to the court on behalf of the family.
“Daniel was one in a million, he had a smile that would light up a room and was genuinely a great friend for life upon meeting him,” she said. “He was a great worker and there was nothing he would not do for his family and friends.”
Mr Justice Paul Carney handed down the mandatory life sentence, backdated to Mar 1, 2010.
Det Sgt Derek Clancy told the court Coughlan had no previous convictions and was a qualified electrician.
Coughlan walked into the garage wearing a high-vis vest and a black hat with his face uncovered, took out a Glock pistol from a shopping bag, and shot Mr Treacy four times.
The court heard the gun was never recovered and Coughlan went to Kerry after the shooting. His car was found burnt out on a beach near Ballybunion.
During the trial, the jury was shown CCTV footage of a man approaching other people shortly after the shooting of Mr Treacy.
In her closing speech, Úna Ní Raifeartaigh, prosecuting, asked the jury to consider the CCTV footage on the morning of the shooting of the man approaching these people.
“The prosecution are inviting you to examine the possibility that this was John Coughlan,” she said.
Coughlan told a psychiatrist that he was on the way to the woods to shoot himself when he went into the Topaz garage to buy a bottle of Lucozade.
He said he was sitting in the car when Mr Treacy arrived at the garage and he shot him instead but had no bullets left to shoot himself.
Ms Ní Raifeartaigh said there was nothing in his medical notes over a four-year period about psychotic episodes.
Brian McCartney, defending, said his client was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia and his responsibility was diminished at the time of the killing.
* Extracts from a victim impact statement read by Ashling Treacy — sister of the deceased.
“On behalf of my family, Daniel’s partner, Amanda, his two children, Danielle and Kieran, and I, Ashling, sister of Daniel, would sincerely like to thank your lordship Judge Carney, all the members of the jury, the Garda and detectives for all their hard work, and special thanks to Una Ni Raifeartaigh and her legal team for helping us to get justice for Daniel.
“Daniel loved life, he lived for his two beautiful children, Danielle and Kieran, his partner Amanda, his family and his occupation as a baker and deliveryman in his family run business...
“Daniel was not here to see his son Kieran make his first Holy Communion, instead he had to visit his father’s grave that day...
“He will not be here to see Danielle complete her exams, go to college or to ever see any of his children grow into adults...
“Daniel’s death has affected us in so many ways, physically, mentally and emotionally. The anguish and loss we feel cannot be adequately described. But my family and I have memories that no one can take and these we will treasure forever.”
