Kerry men cycled to hotel housing asylum seekers armed with can of petrol, court hears

Pair pleaded guilty to trespass and criminal damage at Killarney hotel

The judge adjourned the case to consider whether to impose a custodial sentence.

Two Killarney men "armed themselves" with a can of petrol and cycled to a hotel housing asylum seekers shortly before 6am on New Year’s Day 2024, Killarney District Court has heard.

As they kicked the front door, a fire door, a security guard who was inside was alerted.

The two were identified on CCTV and the can of petrol was recovered.

Both men have pleaded guilty to criminal damage and trespass.

Eamon Murphy, aged 24, of Curragh, Aghadoe, Killarney, and Evan Murphy, aged 21, of Rahanane, Kilcummin, Killarney, came before the courts last February charged with damage of property, the front door of the Harmony Inn, belonging to Keith Spain, on January 1 and trespass on the property.

At Killarney District Court on Monday, Sergeant Stephen O’Brien said at 5.50am on New Year’s Day, they were seen going to the Harmony Inn, Muckross Road, where asylum seekers were housed. They were seen on bicycles with a petrol canister and when they got to the front door it was locked. 

They kicked and damaged the door. They were identified through CCTV and the petrol canister was recovered.

The damage to the door was €1,500, Sgt O'Brien said.

Eamon Murphy’s solicitor, Padraig O’Connell, said the two men were not related but were friends.

There was “no malicious motive”, his client had consumed alcohol, he was embarrassed and fully accepts he was wholly wrong, Mr O’Connell said.

Brendan Ahern, solicitor for Evan Murphy, said his client was in his fourth year of a plumbing apprenticeship and his intention was to emigrate to Canada.

Evan Murphy had no previous convictions. Mr Ahern said when it was put to him (in Garda interviews) his motive was dislike of asylum seekers, he had said it was not the asylum seekers but the system that was in place.

Judge David Waters asked Mr Ahern if he saw "the irony" of what he did when he was considering going to Canada himself.

“Are you seriously telling me he did this last January while considering travelling to Canada?" the judge asked.

Mr Ahern said his client had no intention of doing anything.

Alcohol and social media videos were factors, Mr Ahern said.

Judge Waters said this was not a public order matter. But a very serious matter.

“The bottom line is these two young men made a decision to arm themselves with petrol and travel through the town and arrive on scene were people were residing.

"I’m absolutely convinced these two gentlemen went there with the absolute intention of setting fire to this property and would have done it had they not been disturbed by a security guard.” 

The judge adjourned the case to consider whether to impose a custodial sentence.

"The only consideration for both is a suspended jail sentence or not for both accused." There was no possibility there would not be a conviction, he told Mr Ahern.