Man found guilty of murdering his brother in Kerry graveyard
The late Thomas Dooley (left) and his wife Siobhan. Thomas was murdered at New Rath Cemetery, Rathass, Tralee, on October 5, 2022.
Patrick Dooley has been found guilty of murdering his own brother in Tralee cemetery.
The jury have just returned with their unanimous verdict of guilty against him.
36-year-old Patrick Dooley, from Arbutus Grove, Killarney, County Kerry, had denied murdering his brother Tom, claiming that he had only jumped in to protect the deceased because he was his own flesh and blood.
However, the jury have found him guilty of murdering his brother..
He is the fourth defendant that the 10 men and two women of the jury have now found guilty of murder in this case at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork.
On Thursday, Thomas Dooley Sr, 43, and his son Thomas Dooley Jr, 21, both from the halting site, Carrigrohane, Cork, and the teenager in the trial were found guilty of murdering father-of-seven, 43-year-old Tom Dooley from Hazelwood Drive, Killarney, at New Rath Cemetery, Rathass, Tralee, on October 5, 2022.
Thomas Jr. was additionally found guilty of assault causing harm to the deceased man’s widow, Siobhán.
Deliberations will not resume until 10am on Tuesday, July 23, in respect of the last two accused, Michael, 29, of the halting site, Carrigrohane, Cork, and Daniel, 42, of An Carraigin, Connolly Park, Tralee, County Kerry.
They both deny murdering Thomas Dooley.
Deliberating on Friday for their third day on the Tralee cemetery murder trial the jury was told by the presiding judge to take as much time as they needed on reaching their verdicts on the remaining accused.
They returned shortly before 4pm to Courtroom 3 at the Anglesea Street courthouse in Cork where they have been for a total of 32 days since the trial commenced on June 4. They delivered their guilty verdict against Patrick, after deliberating for a total of 12 hours and 26 minutes over the last three days.
Ms Justice Mary Ellen Ring had told them: “You are under no pressure. There is a lot of evidence, a lot of matters to consider. The time is yours.”
The judge told the 10 men and two women that if they needed to go beyond Friday in their deliberations it would mean resuming on Tuesday morning as the judge had other matters scheduled for Monday, unrelated to this case. As it now transpires, they will be resuming on Tuesday.
Widow, Siobhán Dooley, recalled in her evidence that she saw her late husband being approached by his brother Patrick and his brother-in-law, Thomas Dooley Sr., both of whom have now been convicted of murder.
“They were actually grinning. I said to my husband to run. He said, ‘No, why should I run? I have nothing to run for.’
“I saw Tom (Thomas Sr.) with something in his hand. I saw him with two weapons in his hands. One was kind of shiny and looked to be new. The other had a bit of rust on it. I think one had a kind of round top on it, the other was kind of a big chunk of a yoke… Tom said, ‘You’re a big man now.’ Patrick was grinning.
“Patrick and (Thomas Sr) grabbed him by his two collars… I saw the weapons. I tried to squeeze in between them. I knew I had no hope.
“I heard one of them saying, ‘Take her out too — get rid of her’. I got another bang. I was pegged to the ground. They were all gathered around. He (her late husband) turned his head and said, ‘Run, just run’.
“They were actually pushing each other to get in at him. I remember one of them pushing (another) back. ‘Shove over, give me a chance, give me a go’,” she testified.
Brendan Grehan senior counsel for Patrick Dooley said during the trial: “He did not murder his brother.” He said this was not the biblical Cain and Abel story, adding: “He is no Cainite.”
Cross-examining Siobhán, he asked her about the weapon she said that Patrick was holding and she replied: “It could have been a sword. They were murdering my husband in front of my eyes and my children’s eyes. I couldn’t exactly see what sort of weapon.”
Mr Grehan said: “On a number of key details you are either mistaken or telling untruths. Patrick was there. He was at the funeral. He saw others with weapons attacking your husband — his brother. He (Patrick) had no weapon at any stage.” She replied: “That is a lie. He is lying.”
“He moved in to try and protect his brother Thomas. You are shaking your head. You don’t agree?” Mr Grehan said and she replied, “No”.
Mr Grehan continued: “He (Patrick) ended up getting hit himself and getting cut when he was trying to protect Tom (the deceased). He tried to push people away but there was just too many people.” Siobhán Dooley replied: “That is lies… He was laughing and he cut my husband’s legs.”
Mr Grehan said that was nonsense. She repeated: “He was there cutting my husband.”
Two men now remain subject of the jury’s deliberations — Daniel and Michael Dooley.
Brian McInerney senior counsel for Daniel Dooley, said Daniel was not forensically linked to anything, anywhere in the case. He reminded Siobhán of the witness statements she made identifying a named person who could not have been there at the time and she said she mistook this person for Daniel Dooley because the two men are “an awful lot alike”.
Mr McInerney said the named man — who is not charged with any offence — “is totally innocent but you recognised him as one of the attackers.” She said: “I mentioned the wrong name.” He said, “To accuse someone in the wrong is a woeful thing to do, a terrible thing to do?” Mrs Dooley agreed.
Ray Boland, senior counsel for Michael, said to Mrs Dooley during the trial: “Mike (Michael Dooley) is here because he went to the funeral to offer his respects to the deceased but he had no hand or part in this, he had no weapon and he didn’t know anything was going to happen.
"What happened that day is terrible. Your seven children have no father to go home to. You — as a result — have a terrible hatred for the Dooleys of the Straight (Carrigrohane) Road in Cork and you want their children to have no father to go home to.” The witness replied, “That is a lie.”
Mr Boland said: “You want to bring as many Dooleys as possible into it to get revenge on all the Dooleys.” She replied: “No, that is a lie.”
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