Hackney driver murderer given additional sentences

A 54-year-old Clare man already serving a life sentence for the murder of a hackney driver has been given six five-year jail terms for other offences related to the murder.

Mr Justice Paul Carney at the Central Criminal Court today ordered that the six five-year sentences should run concurrently with the life sentence.

Anthony Kelly, a native of Ruan, Co Clare with an address at Emlagh na Muck, Emlagh More, Waterville, Co Kerry was found guilty of murdering father-of-four Liam Molony (aged 56) in Ruane, Co Clare, on February 11, 2005.

The defence had admitted the killing but claimed the accused was suffering from a mental disorder at the time.

A jury rejected this defence and found him guilty on May 8 this year.

Before the murder trial, Kelly had pleaded guilty to six other charges; robbing the deceased of €10, taking his car, setting fire to it, burglary of the deceased’s flat, possession of a machete and axe and possession of a firearm.

Mr Justice Carney said he took into account that Kelly had at all times pleaded guilty to these offences and that he had no previous convictions in this jurisdiction.

He also backdated the sentences to run from February 25, 2005, the time of Kelly’s arrest.

Sgt Michael Harron told the court that Kelly was deported from the US in 2001 after he was convicted of faking his own kidnapping in an attempt to extort money from his uncle.

He served two years in a US prison for this offence and on his return to Clare, he initially worked as a security man in a shop.

He moved to Kerry in 2003 and was introduced to the deceased by a mutual friend six months before the killing.

All three men would drink together "infrequently", and at the time of the killing, Kelly owed the deceased €160.

The court heard how Kelly sharpened an axe and knife at his home in preparation for the attack.

He then rang Mr Molony who agreed to pick him up at Barefield in his taxi to go to Ruan. On their way, Kelly got the deceased to stop at the gate lodge of a private estate near the village of Ruan.

He hacked him to death with a hatchet or meat-cleaver and then slit his throat.

Mr Molony’s body was found by the caretaker the following day. His upturned body lay inside the gates, with the pockets turned outwards by Kelly, who had robbed him of €10.

Sgt Harron told the court that Kelly admitted the killing when gardaí arrived at his house on February 24 and that he also tried to exonerate another witness from any involvement in the attack.

He also said Kelly had volunteered telling them about the gun when they asked him whether he might have anything incriminating in the house.