A man has been sentenced to life in prison for stabbing his brother to death after a family funeral in Kerry last year.
Fergus O'Connor who is 43 and from Scartaglen in Castleisland, Co Kerry, was found guilty of the murder of his brother, Paudie who was 42 when he was killed.
The court heard Fergus O’Connor does not accept the jury’s verdict and maintains that he acted in self-defence.
Paudie and Fergus O’Connor lived on and off at their mother’s home in Castleisland in Co Kerry. Neither man was married although Paudie O’Connor had a son from a previous relationship in the US and was in a long-term relationship.
On 27 June 2024, they both attended the funeral of a cousin and were both drinking in Castleisland afterwards. Paudie O’Connor went home at around 10:15pm. Fergus O’Connor stayed out. He was seen on CCTV falling onto the ground out of a pub and was seen walking towards the house at a quarter past midnight.
Just over five minutes later a neighbour saw Paudie O’Connor at his front door holding his side, suggesting the stabbing occurred within five minutes of Fergus returning home. Another neighbour saw Paudie O'Connor on his knees outside the house and then saw Fergus O'Connor come out and punch him in the face with a closed fist.
Neighbours tried to resuscitate Mr O’Connor and carried out CPR. Fergus O’Connor went back into the house to get a duvet to cover his brother who was wearing only underpants at the time. Despite the efforts of neighbours and paramedics, Paudie O’Connor died at the scene.
Fergus O’Connor could not be questioned for a number of hours, due to his level of intoxication.
He initially told gardaí that his brother had returned home after him and that there was a row in the kitchen and he picked up a knife in self-defence after being pinned to the ground. However, he changed his story after being shown evidence that the stabbing occurred upstairs and that his brother had gone home before him.
Prosecution counsel, Michael Delaney said Fergus O’Connor had a number of grievances against his brother about issues related to "money and land related issues and issues in relation to other women".
Fergus O'Connor told gardaí that his brother went behind his back with "any girl he went out with", that Paudie gave his brother's name when he was stopped by gardaí and that on the night of the funeral, Paudie had made remarks to him when he was in the company of a woman.
The court heard Paudie O’Connor died of a single stab wound to the chest which penetrated his heart, diaphragm, and liver. The levels of alcohol in his blood were four or five times the legal limit for driving.
Fergus O’Connor had some bruising to his body. But the jury rejected his claim that he acted in self-defence.
Detective Sergeant Ernie Henderson, said Fergus O’Connor had 15 previous convictions, three of which related to drink driving.
In victim impact evidence, Paudie O’Connor’s partner of nine years, Liz O’Donovan said it was difficult to accept the manner in which she had lost him. She said she had spoken to him only an hour before he was killed.
She said his death had impacted her life and her children’s lives. She described Paudie O’Connor as being a man of warmth and humour with a quick wit and generous heart. She told the judge that no sentence could bring him back or take away the pain but she wanted the court to know how much he meant to everyone who knew and loved him.
Fergus O’Connor’s barrister, Caroline O’Connell said her client did not accept the verdict of the jury and was acting in self-defence.
Ms Justice Melanie Greally said the defence of self-defence was argued extensively and vociferously at the trial and was rejected by the jury. She said Mr O’Connor’s brother died in what could only be considered the most brutal and frightening of circumstances - at the hand of his only brother.
She said it was clear he was deeply loved by his partner, friends and family and his killing had left a teenage son without his father.
The judge praised the role of the neighbours who tried to preserve Mr O’Connor’s life and imposed the mandatory life sentence on Fergus O’Connor.
