‘I am guilty’ murder accused told gardaí

The Italian man charged with the murder of a well-known pro-life campaigner and religious writer told gardaí that he was guilty of the crime.

Saverio Bellante, aged 34, from Palermo in Italy, replied “I am guilty” after he was charged with the murder of Tom O’Gorman, aged 39, according to investigating Detective Garda Patrick Traynor.

The body of Mr O’Gorman, from Beech Park Avenue, in the suburb of Castleknock, was found after gardaí were called to his large detached home at about 1.50am on Sunday.

He was pronounced dead at the scene and a postmortem was later carried out by Professor Marie Cassidy.

Mr Bellante, who had been lodging with Mr O’Gorman, was detained by gardaí under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act and yesterday morning he was brought to appear before Judge David McHugh at Blanchardstown District Court.

Mr Bellante is charged with murder at Beech Park Avenue, Castleknock, between Jan 11 and 12. He told the court he wanted to legally represent himself.

Friends of Mr O’Gorman described him as an inoffensive man who would never fall out with anyone.

Michael Kelly, editor of the Irish Catholic newspaper to which Mr O’Gorman occasionally contributed, said he found it “unfathomable” that anyone could have a grudge against him.

David Quinn, director of Catholic think-tank, The Iona Institute, where Mr O’Gorman worked as a researcher, said Mr O’Gorman liked a good argument, but he was good fun. “He had an off-beat sense of humour and was a fantastic mimic, something he inherited from his dad, I am told. He loved to entertain his friends with his mimicry.”

Floral tributes were left on his doorstep yesterday as gardaí continued to investigate his final moments.