Inmate gets life for prison murder
Veale, with a last address at Dominic St, Cork, and originally from Dungarvan, Co Waterford, had pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr Johnson at Cork Prison, Rathmore Rd, on May 16, 2015.
On October 26, a jury deliberated for almost two hours before finding Veale guilty of murdering Mr Johnson.
Prosecution counsel Tim O’Leary called Inspector Vincent O’Sullivan, from Anglesea St Garda Station to give evidence. Insp O’Sullivan said Veale moved to Cork at the end of 2014.
“He had issues with alcohol but then started taking heroin and he got into trouble and was committing crimes,” he said.
The court heard Veale was in a relationship with a woman and living in Cork before he was charged with a robbery offence and remanded in Cork Prison in February 2015.
“He was on remand solely on a robbery and an attempted robbery charge and that is why he was in Cork Prison at the time,” said Insp O’Sullivan.
The court heard that Veale has 105 previous convictions; his first was in 2002 .
“He has a lot of criminal damage and public order offences and his first serious offence was in 2009 when he got four years with one suspended for stabbing another male at a party,” said Insp O’Sullivan. “Veale is one of six children and had addiction issues.”
Ms Justice Isobel Kennedy offered her condolences to Mr Johnson’s family and then sentenced Veale to the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment.
“I make that sentence consecutive to the offence imposed on February 28, 2015,” she said.
The court yesterday heard a stabbing occurred in Cork Prison on May 16, 2015, and Mr Johnson was declared dead. Insp O’Sullivan agreed with Mr O’Leary that the autopsy concluded that Mr Johnson died from a single stab wound to the chest.
“The knife used was available to the kitchen staff in Cork Prison,” said Insp O’Sullivan.
The court heard that Veale was identified by a number of other inmates as the person who used the knife and stabbed the deceased.
“Various individuals suggested Mr Veale was involved in the incident as an argument had occurred between Mr Johnson and Mr Veale two hours previously,” said Insp O’Sullivan.
He agreed with Mr O’Leary that an argument had developed over “a channel playing on the television in the kitchen”.
“Mr Johnson was very into horse racing and he wanted to watch that and Mr Veale wanted to watch Sky Sports Live to see scores in the matches,” said Insp O’Sullivan.
The court heard that a confrontation between the men occurred but it was broken up by a prison officer. The horse racing channel remained on the television.
Insp O’Sullivan agreed with counsel that both men then remained in the kitchen, did their chores, and things calmed down.
Sometime after 5pm that day Mr Johnson was at the end of the kitchen looking at horse racing on television when Mr Veale took a “large knife” which had been on a table and “inserted the knife into Mr Johnson’s chest area”.
Insp O’Sullivan agreed with counsel that the knife “went right through Mr Johnson’s body and hit his back bone”.
It breaks my heart thinking he’s not here’
The mother of a 41-year-old man who was murdered in Cork Prison following an argument over switching TV channels has said she loved her son “dearly” and it “breaks” her “heart everyday thinking of how and why he is not here anymore”.
The victim’s sister, Vivienne Johnson, read an emotional victim impact statement on behalf of her mother, Theresa Johnson.
“I am 87 years of age and Graham was my youngest child and I loved him dearly and it breaks my heart everyday thinking of how and why he is not here anymore,” she said.
The court heard that Mr Johnson was a “family man” and was “the first to oblige” his family if they needed anything.
He was a very good painter and decorator. He had promised that he would decorate my home once he was released from prison,” she said.
Mr Johnson had “three beautiful children” whom he “idolised” and his children “adored him”, the court heard.
“It haunts me to this day seeing his daughter kiss her daddy goodbye for the very last time and his son ask when is his daddy coming home,” she said.
The court heard Mr Johnson’s hobbies were greyhound racing and horse racing. He trained greyhounds and that was his passion and he “loved putting money on races”.
“Unfortunately for Graham, gambling became his illness and he made a very big mistake which sent him to Cork Prison,” said his mother. “He had vowed to me that he would never make that mistake again and he would never go back to prison once he was released.”
Mr Johnson’s mother said her son telephoned her every day from prison and they would chat about “working in the kitchen and learning how to bake”.
Mr Johnson told his mother he would make her “a lovely apple tart once he was released”.
“It breaks my heart that he will now never be released and I miss hearing his voice on a daily basis,” she said.
Addressing the murder of her son by Veale, she said: “I will never understand or be able to forgive your actions on that dreadful day.
“I am an old woman but I serve a life sentence every day of my life without my darling Graham in my life. His children have been deprived of a loving and doting father and you will have to live with that for the rest of your life.”
The second victim impact statement read to the court was written by Mr Johnson’s daughter, who is 13. The court heard that the murder of her father has had “a huge impact” on her life and “still does to this day”. The murder occurred two days after her 12th birthday and each year as her birthday approaches so too does “the anniversary of dad’s death”.
“At 5pm on May 16, 2015, I was in Cork City at a rugby match and to think that my father was in so much pain when I was enjoying myself at a match, completely oblivious, will never leave my mind,” she said. “He may not have been the best dad but no one deserves to have their life taken from them.”
The court heard that her mental health “hasn’t been the best” since then and a part of her is “filled with uncertainty, pain, and grief”.
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