Judge to hand down life sentence to prisoner who stabbed fellow inmate in row over TV

A man convicted of murdering a fellow inmate at Cork prison in an argument over what to watch on TV will be handed a life sentence today.

Brian Veale, who is originally from Dungarvan in Co. Waterford, stabbed Graham Johnson in the prison’s kitchen area.

On May 16, 2015, Brian Veale was watching Sky Sports News on a TV in the corner of Cork prison’s kitchen when Graham Johnson asked him to switch it over so he could watch the horse racing.

Veale refused and a row broke out, before he eventually left his fellow prisoner to watch what he wanted.

A few hours later, he crossed the kitchen floor with a large knife and stabbed the 41-year-old once in the chest.

The evidence against Mr Veale was overwhelming. A number of eye witnesses testified against him and the jury also heard that blood samples taken from his clothes matched Mr Johnson’s DNA.

Veale, who is aged 31, was convicted at the end of last month and was remanded in custody until today to allow for a Victim Impact Statement to be prepared.

He will be handed the mandatory life sentence for murder later this morning.