Kerry brothers sentenced to 14 years for manslaughter

Two Kerry brothers have each been sentenced to 14 years in prison for the manslaughter of a 30-year-old man they found in bed with the younger brother’s teenaged ex-girlfriend.

Mr Justice Barry White told Shane O’Riordan (aged 19) and Gerard O’Riordan (aged 28), of Arbutus Grove, Killarney that it was inevitable from their violent past that one or both of them would end up killing.

The brothers were cleared last month of murdering James Brazier - also known as ‘English Jim’ - in Killarney on April 15, 2007, but were found guilty of his manslaughter.

The Central Criminal Court had heard that the father-of-three died from multiple stab wounds.

Before sentencing, Mr Justice White recalled the circumstances in which Mr Brazier died, with the brothers attending the home of Shane O’Riordan’s former girlfriend in the early hours of April 15.

The judge noted that the 15-year-old girl had been going out with Shane O’Riordan for several months until a week earlier, when she had ended the relationship. The night before the killing she had been drinking with her mother and Mr Brazier in Killarney.

“You went straight to the room of (the 15-year-old) and found her lying asleep on a single bed beside James Brazier, a man twice her age,” said the judge.

“You, Gerard, commenced a savage assault on Mr Brazier. You, Shane, joined in that assault with a knife you found, stabbing Mr Brazier 12 times,” he continued.

“Notwithstanding the fact that Mr Brazier had been stabbed 12 times, you, Gerard continued your assault, dragging him from the bed and assaulting him with a chair.”

The judge noted that the brothers had also been out the night before the killing and had heard of the teenaged girl’s movements. After failing to reach her by phone around 2am, Shane O’Riordan decided to go to her house.

“You, Gerard, determined to go with him, notwithstanding attempts to dissuade you as it was nothing to do with you,” remarked the judge. “I’m strongly suspicious that you had ulterior motives in going to the house.”

The judge said both brothers had a history of violence, having heard that Shane O’Riordan had 11 previous convictions, including for assault, while Gerard O’Riordan had 35 previous convictions, including for assault causing harm.

“It seems to me almost inevitable that one or other or both of you would end up killing someone,” remarked Mr Justice White.

The judge said that this killing lay in the middle of the higher end of seriousness for manslaughter offences, and that the appropriate sentence was 14 years before taking their personal circumstances into account.

“Neither of you proffered a plea of manslaughter before this trial,” he noted.

He said he had a letter of remorse from the brothers, but that he had ‘grave misgivings’ regarding the letter in Gerard O’Riordan’s case. However, assuming the remorse to be real, he suspended the final 18 months of his sentence.

“Regarding you, Shane. For some reason you went to the bad,” said the judge. “From the testimonials before me, you had been an active and good sportsman and had no difficulties with the law. Somewhere between the ages of 14 and 15, you went to the bad.”

He noted that he had expressed remorse for killing Mr Brazier at an earlier stage.

“I’m suspending the final five years to have regard to your age, remorse and in the hope that there might be a mending of your ways in the future,” he said.

The deceased’s family made no comment after the sentences were handed down. Last week the court received a victim impact statement from Mr Brazier’s mother.

“He was my spirit. My family has lost a best son and brother,“ she wrote: “Every morning, I think of Jimmy and late at night. It’s the worst nightmare. Wake me up and tell me it’s a bad dream.”

Mr Justice White said both sentences were to run from the date of conviction.