Wicklow man sentenced to life for murder of friend

A 24-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison at the Central Criminal Court for the murder of his friend in a row in Co Wicklow last year.

Thomas O'Connor of Burnaby Court, Greystones, who hit John O'Brien several times on the head with a rock, had pleaded not guilty to his murder at Farrankelly Road, Delgany, on June 4, 2010.

He admitted killing the 22-year-old to gardaí but on November 25 last a jury of six men and six women returned a unanimous verdict of guilty after nearly four hours of deliberation.

Mr Justice Barry White told O’ Connor that he had no discretion and handed down a life sentence backdating it to the day of his arrest on June 5, 2010.

Detective Sergeant Eamon O’ Neill told Mr Paul Murray BL prosecuting the pair were friends and had been drinking that day. He said the rock used weighing 1.6kgs inflicted catastrophic head injury.

Det Sgt O’ Neill said O’ Connor left the scene, disposed of the rock and burned and threw out items of his own clothing.

O'Connor later told gardaí Mr O'Brien started a row with him and he grabbed a rock and hit him two or three times over the head with it.

He told gardaí twice: “I didn’t mean to kill him” and the defence of provocation was used during the trial but a jury convicted him last month of murder.

The judge asked Det Sgt O’ Neill if O’ Connor had taken drugs on the day to which he replied: “It was not something we could firm up on”.

In a victim impact statement read to the court on behalf of the family John O'Brien's mother Bridget was the third eldest and it was too painful to have photographs of him in the house. She said she thought for a while she would lose her mind and it was sometimes hard to breathe.

“John was not a saint but he was a loving son who adored children, ” said Mrs O’ Brien.

She said listening to the court case was one of the hardest things she ever had to do.

“I thank God the right decision has been made,” she added.

His fiancée Alice O’ Brien’s victim impact statement was also read to the court stating she and Mr O’Brien were due to be married in September of 2010.

Miss O’ Brien said she had started planning the wedding day already and had bought her wedding dress.

She said the most heartbreaking thing was going to the florists to tell them to turn the wedding bouquets into wreaths.

“At first I thought it was a dream. It was totally unbelievable,” said Miss O’ Brien.

“I still feel it was only yesterday we were planning to be married,” she added.

Outside the court his father James O’ Brien said the life sentence handed down was “fair”.

“I just want to thank the guards, the legal team and all my neighbours and friends who supported us through this,” he said.

His wife Bridget also spoke briefly outside the court.

“I’m just glad it went the way it went, and I just want to try and get on and get the family back sorted,” said Mrs O’ Brien but neither thought the outcome of the case would bring them closure.

The court also heard that Thomas O'Connor has 13 previous convictions for offences including criminal damage, failure to appear, theft and no insurance.

Mr Michael O’ Higgins SC defending said his client would like to apologise and cannot forgive himself.

He said there is not a day goes by that he does not regret it and if he could switch places with Mr O’Brien he would.